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CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-08Cyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@glue.umd.edu>CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-08CONTENTS
[01] U.S. INITIATIVE ON CYPRUS IF...NICOSIA, MAY 7 (CNA) -- SOCIALIST LEADER VASSOS LYSSARIDES EXPRESSED THE VIEW TUESDAY THAT THE AMERICANS WILL GO AHEAD AND UNDERTAKE AN INITIATIVE ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM NEXT JUNE ONLY IF THEY ARE CONVINCED THAT IT WILL BRING RESULTS.THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIALIST EDEK PARTY AND ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WAS SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS RICHARD BOUCHER. LYSSARIDES BRIEFED BOUCHER ON HIS RECENT VISIT TO THE U.S. WHERE HE HAD A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH U.S. ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS OFFICIALS. THEY ALSO DISCUSSED DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CYPRUS PROBLEM. THE CYPRIOT POLITICIAN TOLD THE PRESS THAT HE HAS THE OPINION, AFTER ALL THOSE CONTACTS, THAT THE U.S. WILL NOT UNDERTAKE ANY INITIATIVE ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM IF THEY DO NOT REACH THE CONCLUSION THAT A MEETING FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE WILL BEAR FRUIT. ON HIS PART, THE U.S. DIPLOMAT STATED THAT ''WE MAKE CLEAR OUR DESIRE TO LAY SOLID FOUNDATION FOR DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN THE (GREEK- AND TURKISH-CYPRIOT) PARTIES. ''OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE OTHERS WITH INTEREST IN THE ISSUE AND AT SOME STAGE WE MAY GET A LARGER MEETING. BUT, AT THE MOMENT, OUR WORK CONTINUES WITH FINDING AND PREPARING SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE DIRECT TALKS,'' HE SAID. CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE 1974 WHEN TURKISH TROOPS INVADED AND OCCUPIED 37 PER CENT OF ITS TERRITORY. CNA MCH/KPK/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY[02] HUMAN RIGHTS CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN SAYS DUTCH SENATORNICOSIA, MAY 7 (CNA) -- THE CYPRUS PROBLEM HAS GONE OUT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S MIND WHILST VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED, THE RAPPORTEUR OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE (COE), STRESSED HERE TUESDAY.DUTCH SENATOR ERIK JURGENS ARRIVED FOR A SEVEN-DAY VISIT TO CYPRUS TO PREPARE A REPORT FOR THE COE ON THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF ENCLAVED GREEK CYPRIOTS AND MARONITES LIVING IN THE TURKISH OCCUPIED AREAS AND TURKISH CYPRIOTS LIVING IN THE FREE AREAS OF THE REPUBLIC. SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING WITH ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, VASSOS LYSSARIDES, THE DUTCH RAPPORTEUR SAID THAT THE AIM OF HIS REPORT WAS TO PUT FORWARD, IN AN OBJECTIVE MANNER, THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN THE ISLAND. ''IF WE FIND THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE ENCLAVED (AT THE TURKISH OCCUPIED AREAS) ARE BEING VIOLATED, THE COE WILL PUT THE ISSUE BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND PUT PRESSURE ON THOSE WHO ARE PERPETRATORS OF THESE VIOLATIONS'', HE SAID. JURGENS ALSO NOTED THAT ''IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE COE TO FIND A SOLUTION'' OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM AND THAT ''IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PUT PRESSURE ON ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS GOING ON'' IN THE ISLAND. HE ALSO NOTED THAT ''TURKEY HAS A STRONG RESPONSIBILITY, TO PUT IT MILDLY.'' ASKED WHETHER THERE IS ANY KIND OF CO-ORDINATION AMONG INTERNATIONAL BODIES THAT HAVE AT DIFFERENT TIMES EXAMINED AND ISSUED REPORTS ON THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE ENCLAVED, THE COE RAPPORTEUR SAID THAT ''WE CO-ORDINATE IN THE FACT THAT OUR GOVERNMENTS ARE MEMBERS OF OTHER INTERNATIONAL BODIES.'' HE ALSO NOTED THAT IN CASES OF VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ''ONE CANNOT HAVE ENOUGH PLACES TO PUT THE ISSUE FORWARD'' AND THAT THE ISSUE OF THE ENCLAVED SHOULD BE KEPT ALIVE IN THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE. HOWEVER, HE SAID ''I THINK THE CYPRUS PROBLEM HAS BECOME A FORGOTTEN THING IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'', AND STRESSED THAT ''ANY VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN.'' ON HIS PART LYSSARIDES SAID THAT HE STRESSED TO JURGENS THAT ''RESOLUTIONS ALONE CANNOT BE EFFECTIVE SINCE TURKEY IGNORES THEM'' AND THAT ''SOME SORT OF MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST TURKEY TO FORCE IT TO ABIDE BY THEM.'' THE COE RAPPORTEUR ALSO MET WITH ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC ALEXIS GALANOS WHO NOTED THAT THE FACT THAT THE DUTCH SENATOR WILL VISIT THE ENCLAVED ON FRIDAY IS VERY IMPORTANT AS A SIMILAR REQUEST MADE BY OTHER EURO-MP'S RECENTLY HAS BEEN TURNED DOWN BY THE TURKISH OCCUPATION REGIME. THE RAPPORTEUR WAS BRIEFED ON THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF TURKISH CYPRIOTS LIVING IN THE FREE AREAS OF THE REPUBLIC BY ATTORNEY GENERAL ALECOS MARKIDES WHO STRESSED TO HIM THE DETERMINATION OF THE ISLAND'S AUTHORITIES TO STAMP OUT ANY VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS. ASKED WHERE ELSE HE WOULD TURN FOR INFORMATION ON THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE TURKISH CYPRIOTS, JURGENS REFERRED TO THE ISLAND'S PRESS WHICH HE PRAISED. HE ALSO SAID ''IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT SOURCE FOR US ALL'', ADDING THAT THE PRESS ''ARE IMPORTANT PROTECTORS OF THE RIGHTS OF CYPRIOT CITIZENS.'' HE FURTHER SAID THAT HE WILL ALSO MEET WITH THE REPUBLIC'S OMBUDSMAN NICOS CHARALAMBOUS AND VISIT THE SOUTHERN TOWN OF LIMASSOL ON THURSDAY WHERE A NUMBER OF TURKISH CYPRIOT LIVE TO SPEAK TO THEM. CNA MCH/KPK/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY[03] INTERCEPTED HEART MONITOR SPARE PARTS SENT TO DENKTASHNICOSIA, MAY 7 (CNA) -- THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TUESDAY FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF SPARE PARTS FOR A CARDIOGRAPH FOR TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY LEADER RAUF DENKTASH AFTER A PARCEL CONTAINING THE HEAR MONITOR GEAR WAS INTERCEPTED BY CUSTOMS ON THE FREE AREAS.THE ISLAND'S COMMISSIONER FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, LEANDROS ZACHARIADES, DESCRIBED THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO A HAND OVER THE PARCEL TO DENKTASH AS A ''HUMANITARIAN ACT''. THE TURKISH CYPRIOT POLITICIAN 72, SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK EARLIER THIS YEAR AND THE MONITOR HAD BEEN SENT FOR REPAIRS IN FINLAND. THE PARCEL WHICH ARRIVED YESTERDAY AT LARNACA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WAS CONFISCATED THE MOMENT IT WAS NOTICED THAT IT WAS ADDRESSING THE SO-CALLED ''PRESIDENT'' OF THE ILLEGAL REGIME IN THE OCCUPIED AREAS OF THE ISLAND. SENT FROM FINLAND FOR SPECIAL DELIVERY VIA ATHENS ON A PLANE OF THE CYPRUS AIRWAYS, THE ISLAND'S NATIONAL CARRIER, THE PARCEL CARRIED A DISTORTED ADDRESS WHICH INCLUDED THE NAMES OF TOWNS IN BOTH TURKEY AND CYPRUS, NAMELY MERSIN AND LARNACA RESPECTIVELY. THE COMPANY WHICH WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE PARCEL DECIDED TO RECTIFY THE MISTAKE BY SENDING IT BACK TO FINLAND BECAUSE, AS A COMPANY SPOKESMAN SAID, IT DOES NOT HAVE DEALINGS WITH THE ILLEGAL REGIME AT THE OCCUPIED AREAS. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING ARRANGEMENTS BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ALECOS SHAMBOS AND THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL'S DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ISLAND, GUSTAVE FEISSEL, THE PARCEL WAS FINALLY HANDED TO THE U.N. TO BE FORWARDED TO DENKTASH. CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE 1974 WHEN TURKISH TROOPS INVADED AND OCCUPIED 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S TERRITORY. THE ILLEGAL ''ENTITY'' IN THE OCCUPIED NORTH OF THE ISLAND IS RECOGNISED ONLY BY ANKARA. CNA EC/KPK/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY[04] AMERICAN MODERN DANCE ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM IN CYPRUSNICOSIA, MAY 7 (CNA) -- THE RENOWNED AMERICAN MODERN DANCE ENSEMBLE ''DONALD BYRD/THE GROUP'' WILL BE IN CYPRUS FOR A SINGLE PERFORMANCE LATER THIS MONTH.THE PERFORMANCE IS ORGANISED BY THE AMERICAN CENTRE OF THE U.S. EMBASSY, THE CULTURAL SERVICES OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE AND THE CYPRUS BROADCASTING CORPORATION (CYBC). IT WILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY 15 AT THE MUNICIPAL THEATRE IN NICOSIA. THE 13-MEMBER GROUP WILL ALSO CONDUCT A DANCE WORKSHOP IN THE SOUTHERN COASTAL TOWN OF LIMASSOL IN COOPERATION WITH THE CYPRUS PROFESSIONAL DANCE ASSOCIATION. CNA EC/KPK/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY[05] ''OTHELLO FESTIVAL'' IS TAKEN UNDER AUSPICES OF FIRST LADYNICOSIA, MAY 7 (CNA) -- THE FIRST EVER ''OTHELLO FESTIVAL'' TO BE HELD ON THE ISLAND IN LATE SEPTEMBER, HAS BEEN TAKEN UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE ISLAND'S FIRST LADY, IRENE (LILA) CLERIDES.THE ''OTHELLO FESTIVAL'' WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN 21-28 OF SEPTEMBER 1996 AT THE WESTERN TOWN OF PAPHOS AND WILL BE AN ANNUAL EVENT, THE ORGANISERS ANNOUNCED HERE TODAY. THE FESTIVAL IS A PRODUCTION OF RUDOLF SAUSER'S ''OPERA CLASSICA'' REPRESENTED IN CYPRUS BY ''THE CONCENTIVE TRAVEL ART''. IT WILL BE STAGED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE, THE CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION AND PAPHOS MUNICIPALITY. THE FESTIVAL HAS ALREADY ATTRACTED AN ENORMOUS INTEREST WORLDWIDE AND IS PROMISING TO PUT CYPRUS ONTO THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC EVENTS. FAMOUS ARTISTS SUCH AS KATJA RICCIARELLI WHO WILL PLAY DESDEMONA AND CARLO COSSUTA AND RAIMO SIRKIA WHO WILL PORTRAY THE HERO, OTHELLO, WILL TAKE PART IN THE FESTIVAL. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN PARLIAMENT (BUNDESTAG) AND MENTOR OF THE ''PHILARMONICA HUNGARICA'' RITA SUSZMUTH WILL BE ARRIVING ON THE ISLAND FOR THE FESTIVAL. FOR 1997, THE FESTIVAL WILL HAVE A DURATION OF 14 DAYS IN SEPTEMEBR WHEREAS VERDIS' OPERAS ''OTHELLO'' AND ''NABUCCO'' WILL BE PERFORMED FOR 4 AND 6 NIGHTS RESPECTIVELY, ACCORDING TO THE SAME ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ORGANISERS. CNA EC/KPK/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY[06] CLERIDES: CYPRUS PROBLEM IS AN EXAMPLE OF U.N. INEFFECTIVENESSATHENS, MAY 7 (CNA) -- THE CYPRUS PROBLEM AND ITS HANDLING BY THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL, CONSTITUTES AN EXAMPLE OF THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION, CYPRUS PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES SAID HERE TODAY.PRESIDENT CLERIDES MADE THE REMARK IN A SPEECH IN THE GREEK CAPITAL AFTER BEING PRESENTED WITH AN HONOURARY DOCTORATE BY THE LAW DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS. HE EXPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH THIS INEFFECTIVENESS CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ANY WEAKNESSES FROM THE PART OF THE U.N. CHARTER, THE END TO THE BIPOLARITY RESULTED WITH A STRENGTHENING OF THE ROLE OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL WHICH IN TURN AFFECTED THE BALANCE WITHIN THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND OTHER U.N. BODIES. ''THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO AVOID DECISION TAKING BASED ON THE SELF-INTERESTED MOTIVES OF MEMBER STATES,'' THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT SAID. HE ALSO REASSURED THAT AS A PRESIDENT, HE HAS AN OBLIGATION TO HANDLE THE CYPRUS ISSUE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF TODAY'S INTERNATIONAL SCENE. THIS IMPLIES, AMONG OTHER, THE WITHDRAWAL OF TURKISH OCCUPATION TROOPS AND SETTLERS, THE SAFEGUARDING OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM FOR ALL CITIZENS AS WELL AS THE RETURN OF REFUGEES TO THEIR HOMES. THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH OPTIMISM AND COURAGE AND THIS IS STRENGTHENED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GRECO-CYPRIOT JOINT DEFENCE PACT AND THE DECISION FOR CYPRUS TO BEGIN ACCESSION TALKS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AFTER THE END OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE, CURRENTLY UNDERWAY. CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE 1974 WHEN TURKISH TROOPS INVADED AND OCCUPIED 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S TERRITORY. CNA EC/KPK/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY[07] CYPRUS PRESIDENT MEETS GREEK DEFENCE MINISTERATHENS, MAY 8 (CNA) -- GREECE'S NATIONAL DEFENCE MINISTER YERASIMOS ARSENIS STATED HERE TODAY THAT THE GREECE-CYPRUS JOINT DEFENCE PACT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED AS PLANNED.ARSENIS' STATEMENT WAS MADE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SEEING CYPRUS PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES AT AN ATHENS HOTEL. THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT HAS ALREADY MET GREEK PRESIDENT COSTIS STAPHANOPOULOS, WHO FLEW TO WASHINGTON FOR TALKS WITH PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON. PRESIDENT CLERIDES WILL ALSO MEET PRESIDENT CLINTON IN MID-JUNE IN WASHINGTON. THE TWO PRESIDENTS HAD AGREED TO COORDINATE ACTION IN VIEW OF THEIR SEPARATE MEETINGS WITH THE U.S. PRESIDENT. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, PRESIDENT CLERIDES WILL ALSO MEET U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI ON JUNE 12, IN GENEVA. TOMORROW, PRESIDENT CLERIDES WILL HOLD TALKS IN ATHENS WITH GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS SIMITIS. GREECE AND CYPRUS AGREED IN NOVEMBER 1993 TO ADOPT A JOINT DEFENCE POLICY TO FACE TURKISH EXPANSIONIST DESIGNS AGAINST CYPRUS AND GREEK AEGEAN ISLANDS. TURKISH TROOPS HAVE BEEN OCCUPYING 37 PER CENT OF CYPRUS TERRITORY SINCE 1974 IN VIOLATION OF REPEATED U.N. RESOLUTIONS CALLING FOR THEIR WITHDRAWAL FROM THIS EAST MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND. ASKED WHETHER THE GREECE-ISRAEL MILITARY AGREEMENT AFFECTS CYPRUS TOO, ARSENIS SAID THE AGREEMENT IS ''VERY IMPORTANT AND PROMOTES PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL COUNTRIES''. ISRAEL HAS SIGNED AN ALMOST SIMILAR MILITARY AGREEMENT WITH TURKEY, A MOVE THAT HAS ANNOYED CYPRIOT AUTHORITIES. ISRAEL HAS ASSURED THE CYPRUS GOVERNMENT THAT THE ISRAEL-TURKEY AGREEMENT WAS NOT AFFECTING CYPRUS. CNA RG/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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