Voice of America, 98-04-04

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] ASIA / EUROPE SUMMIT (S) BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (LONDON)

[02] ASIA / EUROPE SUMMIT (S) BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (LONDON)

[03] CYPRUS/HOLBROOKE (S&L) BY CHRIS DRAKE (NICOSIA)

[01] ASIA / EUROPE SUMMIT (S) BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (LONDON)

INTRO: ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS HAVE ENDED A SUMMIT MEETING IN LONDON AND AS V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS FROM THE BRITISH CAPITAL, THE TWO-DAY SESSION WAS DOMINATED BY THE ASIAN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS.

TEXT: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR TOLD REPORTERS THE MEETING PROVED TO ASIAN LEADERS THAT EUROPE BELIEVES IN THE FUNDAMENTAL STRENGTH OF THE ASIAN ECONOMIES -- AND THAT THEY WILL RECOVER AND PROSPER IN THE FUTURE.

FOR US IN EUROPE, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT ASIA DOES HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT EUROPE IS (STANDING), AND WILL STAND BY ASIA IN ITS HOUR OF NEED AND THAT THERE IS MUTUAL SOLIDARITY AND CONFIDENCE BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA.

MR. BLAIR SAID EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL ENCOURAGE HIGH-LEVEL BUSINESS MISSIONS TO ASIA TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS. AND HE SAID ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS PLEDGED TO RESIST PROTECTIONIST TRADING PRACTICES. (SIGNED)
NEB/ADEN/DW/JO
04-Apr-98 8:16 AM EST (1316 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] ASIA / EUROPE SUMMIT (S) BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (LONDON)

INTRO: ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS HAVE ENDED A SUMMIT MEETING IN LONDON AND AS V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS FROM THE BRITISH CAPITAL, THE TWO-DAY SESSION WAS DOMINATED BY THE ASIAN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS.

TEXT: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR TOLD REPORTERS THE MEETING PROVED TO ASIAN LEADERS THAT EUROPE BELIEVES IN THE FUNDAMENTAL STRENGTH OF THE ASIAN ECONOMIES -- AND THAT THEY WILL RECOVER AND PROSPER IN THE FUTURE.

FOR US IN EUROPE, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT ASIA DOES HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT EUROPE IS (STANDING), AND WILL STAND BY ASIA IN ITS HOUR OF NEED AND THAT THERE IS MUTUAL SOLIDARITY AND CONFIDENCE BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA.

MR. BLAIR SAID EUROPEAN LEADERS WILL ENCOURAGE HIGH-LEVEL BUSINESS MISSIONS TO ASIA TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS. AND HE SAID ASIAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS PLEDGED TO RESIST PROTECTIONIST TRADING PRACTICES. (SIGNED)
NEB/ADEN/DW/JO
04-Apr-98 8:16 AM EST (1316 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] CYPRUS/HOLBROOKE (S&L) BY CHRIS DRAKE (NICOSIA)

INTRO: U-S SPECIAL ENVOY TO CYPRUS, RICHARD HOLBROOKE, SAYS HIS EFFORTS TO RESTART NEGOTIATIONS TO REUNIFY THE (MEDITERRANEAN) ISLAND WERE INCONCLUSIVE. AFTER MEETING SEPARATELY WITH BOTH GREEK CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES AND TURKISH-CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH, HE TOLD REPORTERS IN NICOSIA BOTH MEN HAVE ASKED HIM TO COME BACK IN MAY TO TRY AGAIN TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK. MR. DENKTASH PULLED OUT OF TALKS AFTER THE EUROPEAN UNION INVITED THE RECOGNIZED GREEK-CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT TO JOIN THE BLOC -- BUT NOT HIS MAIN ALLY, TURKEY. FROM NICOSIA, CHRIS DRAKE HAS THIS REPORT

TEXT: RICHARD HOLBROOKE REFUSED TO DIVULGE ANY DETAILS OF HIS TALKS WITH THE TWO LEADERS -- AND SAID THEY HAD ALSO AGREED TO REVEAL NOTHING UNTIL AFTER HIS RETURN NEXT MONTH.

THE ONLY OUTWARD SIGN OF PROGRESS WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH COMMUNITY (GREEK AND TURKISH) WILL RESUME THEIR JOINT MEETINGS -- SOMETHING MR. HOLBROOKE HAILED AS A SMALL, BUT SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD.

BUT HE SAID MR. DENKTASH -- A MAN HE DESCRIBED AS A TENACIOUS AND FORMIDABLE DEFENDER OF HIS VIEWS -- STILL REFUSED TO RETURN TO NEGOTIATIONS AS A LEADER OF HIS COMMUNITY.

MR. DENKTASH MADE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT HE WISHES FUTURE CONTACTS -- IN LIGHT OF THE EUROPEAN INVITATION -- BE ON A STATE-TO-STATE RELATIONSHIP, WITH PRESIDENT DENKTASH OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS. THAT IS HIS POSITION; HE MADE IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR TO US. WE HEARD IT.

MR. HOLBROOKE SAID THE U-S POSITION WAS EQUALLY CLEAR -- THAT ONLY THE GOVERNMENT LED BY PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES IS (OFFICIALLY) RECOGNIZED.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE WHERE REAL PROGRESS CAN BE MADE, BUT CERTAINLY THE U-S ENVOY DISAGREES STRONGLY WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION DECISION TO LEAVE TURKEY OUT OF THE CURRENT ACCESSION TALKS.

WASHINGTON, HE SAID, FIRMLY BELIEVES TURKEY IS PART OF EUROPE -- HIS POINT BEING THAT IF THAT COUNTRY WERE ALLOWED TO JOIN, THE CYPRUS PROBLEM WOULD BE MUCH EASIER TO SOLVE. (SIGNED)
NEB/CD/DW/JO
04-Apr-98 1:20 PM EST (1820 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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