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Cyprus News Agency 96-06-19.Cyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Giorgos Zacharia <lysi@MIT.EDU>CONTENTS
1010:CYPPRESS:01[01] US Congressmen back strong US moves towards AnkaraWashington, Jun 19 (CNA) -- US Congressmen, members of the House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, believe the US administration should exercise stronger leverage on Ankara to push forward a Cyprus settlement.They have also reiterated their staunch support for the demilitarisation of Cyprus, a proposal made to the UN by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides in December 1993 providing for the disband of the National Guard and the Turkish Cypriot armed forces as well as the simultaneous withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops from Cyprus' northern part. President Clerides had meetings with both Committees yesterday, before flying to London where he will hold talks this evening with British Prime Minister John Major. Replying to a CNA question, the chairman of the House Committee, Ben Gilman, said the US ''must push Ankara much harder'' because 21 years is ''much too long to see a divided island and divided people.'' Describing his talks with the President as ''good, frank and extensive,'' Gilman said ''we expressed strong support from the Congress in trying to find a solution and we hope it will come soon.'' ''We want to assure President Clerides of our staunch support for trying to find an early solution,'' he added. In his remarks, President Clerides said he found ''warm support on all the issues pertaining to the Cyprus question I have analysed before the House Committee.'' He said the Committee ''backs the proposal for demilitarisation, and considers the US should show more decisive action which must be directed towards Turkey.'' Echoing Gilman's sentiments, Senator Olympia Snowe said ''we reiterated to him (President Clerides) that he has a lot of support with our guys here and we want to see an end to the injustice brought to the people of Cyprus and that we will do everything we can.'' Replying to questions, Snowe said she planned to ''push forward with the demilitarisation proposal'' and described the unanimous support it received in the Senate Committee as ''frankly significant progress.'' She said the principle of demilitarisation, as put forward by the President, is ''bold and dramatic and should bring an end to the injustice on Cyprus.'' Senator Paul Sarbanes welcomed the forthcoming trip to Cyprus by US presidential emissary Richard Beattie, announced by President Bill Clinton earlier this week, and expressed the hope that ''we can move ahead.'' ''President Clerides' visit here was a very important visit and we were honored to have him at the White House,'' he added. A Cyprus demilitarisation resolution was adopted by a vote of 75 per cent of the House International Relations Committee and adopted by the full House of Representatives. The proposal was also adopted unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and cosponsored by 29 Senators. CNA DA/MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1140:CYPPRESS:02[02] Turkey's instability ''limits'' US efforts on CyprusWashington, Jun 19 (CNA) -- The political instability in Turkey impedes American efforts to promote productive discussions in Ankara to push for a Cyprus settlement, US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns has said.Commenting on Tuesday's meeting between President Glafcos Clerides and Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Burns said the US Administration is limited in its ability to push the Turkish side harder during the preparatory work regarding the American initiative. ''Obviously, we're limited to one extent and that is that the Turkish government - the new Turkish government - needs to be formed. Once that has happened, it will be easier for us to have productive discussions in Ankara,'' the spokesman said. He said the Secretary of State ''had a very good and very long review of the situation in Cyprus with President Clerides'' and a ''very, very good conversation with Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides.'' ''The Secretary reaffirmed that our goal, working with the parties, is to establish a bizonal, bicommunal, federated Cyprus. And in that regard, as the President said yesterday, Ambassador (Richard) Beattie, the President's special emissary for Cyprus, will be travelling to the region in July for discussions with all the parties about Cyprus,'' Burns added. The spokesman said Beattie's trip to the region ''ought to be possible'' and would give him the opportunity to ''discuss the issue with Turkey, as well as Greece, as well as the two communities on Cyprus, as well as with United Nations.'' Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal. CNA DA/MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1330:CYPPRESS:03[03] Britain sees need for more effort until accession talksLondon, Jun 19 (CNA) -- Increased effort must be made in the next year or so to press on with the search for the appropriate conditions that would lead to the resumption of talks, British Foreign and Commonwealth Office sources have said ahead of today's meeting between Premier John Major and President Glafcos Clerides.''Britain believes that the time between now and the start of Cyprus-European Union accession talks should be exploited to the full to create the conditions for a settlement,'' FCO sources have told CNA. Efforts to find common ground between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities to enable the resumption of talks should not impede the overall attempts to reach agreement between the parties, they added. ''Britain will do all it can to help in these efforts and attaches great importance to today's meeting,'' the same sources said. They also noted that the issue of security and the idea of a demilitarised Cyprus would be part of today's discussions in London. ''There will be more opportunity to discuss the substance in more detail at the dinner hosted by Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind (at his official residence) after the Major-Clerides meeting,'' they said. Today's meeting with Major comes only two days after Clerides' meeting with US President Bill Clinton in the White House on Monday. President Clerides, who arrived this morning in London, leaves Thursday for Florence, Italy, for a working lunch with the EU Council on the fringes of the EU summit to take place between 21-22 June. President Clerides returns home on Monday. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1355:CYPPRESS:04[04] US, Cyprus to resume export control dialogue Washington, Jun 19(CNA) -- Cyprus and the US have announced the resumption of bilateral talks on export control policies and practices. The announcement was made on Tuesday in Washington after a meeting between US Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides. Michaelides said the meeting established there has been a ''substantial upgrading of bilateral relations and it was agreed that more effort will be made to enhance these relations even further.'' ''We discussed the Middle East peace process and Cyprus' crucial location in the region and we reiterated our proposal to host a monitoring group for Lebanon in Cyprus,'' the Minister said. Christopher thanked Michaelides for Cyprus' offer and in general Cypriot assistance to achieve peace in the Middle East. The role of the European Union in efforts to settle the protracted Cyprus question was also on the agenda of the meeting, Michaelides told journalists. Commenting on the resumption of export control talks, US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the dialogue will enhance bilateral customs cooperation, including legal and regulatory structures, licensing procedures and enforcement issues. The resumption of bilateral consultations, he added, reflects a joint commitment to policies that will ''prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related technologies, including missile delivery systems.'' It will also apply strict controls on transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies, he said. CNA DA/MM/GP/1996 ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1400:CYPPRESS:05[05] UN top envoy to visit Cyprus next weekNicosia, Jun 19 (CNA) -- UN Secretary-General's top envoy for Cyprus, Han Sung-Joo, arrives in Cyprus next week for a six-day visit of contacts with both sides of the divide, a UN spokesman told CNA today.Han arrives on Tuesday afternoon and will have meetings ''with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides at different levels'' as part of his mission to help the UN Secretary-General's efforts to push for a settlement in Cyprus. ''Han will also familiarise himself with the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus,'' the spokesman added. The UN envoy is expected to have meetings with President Glafcos Clerides, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides. The former Foreign Minister of South Korea will probably meet political party leaders and may see other people as well before leaving on Sunday 30 June. Han will then fly to Athens and Ankara for talks before moving on to Moscow, Brussels and London for more contacts concerning the Cyprus peace effort. CNA MM/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1415:CYPPRESS:06[06] Investigations into the whereabouts of missing AmericansNicosia, Jun 19 (CNA) -- The US investigation into the whereabouts of five American citizens missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus will be completed in a couple of months.This was revealed here today by the head of the investigatory committee Robert Dillon, after a meeting with Cyprus Commissioner to the President for Humanitarian Affairs Leandros Zachariades. Ambassador Dillon said ''the UN investigatory committee is doing a wonderful job''. He expressed the hope that the Committee's investigation will be completed in a couple of months. Replying to a question concerning the job done until today, Dillon said ''we have tentative results but the investigation is not complete.'' Zachariades told the press that he exchanged views with Dillon and that they informed each other about their investigations so far. Dillon is in Cyprus to investigate the fate of five Americans of Cypriot origin, missing since the Turkish invasion and occupation of 37 per cent of Cyprus territory in 1974. A total of 1619 people have been missing since then. The Turkish side has refused to cooperate with a UN Investigatory Committee set up in 1981. The UN Committee has been unable to produce evidence for even a single case although many of the missing persons were seen or heard in prisons in mainland Turkey long after the cessation of hostilities. CNA KN/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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