Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-12-25

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Friday, December 25, 1998

S-300s are back with a vengeance

THE S-300 missiles returned to their accustomed position of dominance on the front pages yesterday.

All the dailies agreed that major developments were imminent as an extraordinary meeting of the National Council was announced, with S-300s the main topic for consideration.

Tuesday's UN Security Council resolutions, warmly welcomed by Nicosia, Athens, New York, London and Brussels appeared to have had created the required pre-conditions for cancellation of the controversial missile order, the parers reported.

Phileleftheros did not beat about the bush: "Resolutions and reactions ostracise the S-300s" its front-page headline trumpeted. "The National Council is today faced with a crucial and final dilemma," the top- circulation daily stated.

Developments over the previous 24 hours heralded a new period of "movement" on the Cyprus problem and changed the situation concerning the missiles, the paper said. It was now plain that Athens and Nicosia had decided the missiles would be stored in Crete, a compromise solution in the face of strong international pressure to cancel the deal, the paper said.

The government had set progress towards a settlement or demilitarisation as a pre-condition for not deploying the missiles, but the resolutions contained only words promising progress and no concrete time-frame for action, Phileleftheros noted.

Left-wing Haravghi stated the resolutions and pledges to support these from Bill Clinton and Tony Blair had created deep divisions on the local political front.

The government saw new elements in the resolutions which had to be taken advantage of, the paper said. But Diko, Edek and the New Horizons party saw nothing new in the resolutions and promises and no reason for great optimism, Haravghi said. Akel - the communist party for which Haravghi is a mouthpiece - was to make its position known at the National Council, though party leader Dimitris Christofias was to miss the crucial meeting because of pneumonia, the paper said.

Right-wing Alithia said the deciding factor for the National Council decision on the missiles would be Greece's desire to see the missiles stored in Crete.

Machi stated the National Council was meeting "to send the missiles packing."

The paper also suggested Edek would be carrying out its threat to abandon the government if the S-300s did not arrive.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article