Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-08-18

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CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus President visits Greece

[02] Canada deeply regrets buffer zone killings

1110:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus President visits Greece

The Cypriot President flew to Greece last night aboard the same plane with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who paid a nine-hour working visit to Cyprus yesterday for talks with the Cypriot leadership.

The two countries agreed to coordinate international campaign to try to find a just solution to the Cyprus problem and project Turkey's atrocities on this east Mediterranean island divided since the Turkish invasion and occupation of 37 per cent of its territory in 1974.

The Greek Premier repeated his ''Casus Belli'' threat against Turkey, in case the latter decides to order its troops to advance towards the government-controlled southern part of the island.

Simitis' visit followed the cold-blooded murders of two Greek Cypriot youths last week by Turkish occupation troops and Turkish extremists, during peaceful anti-occupation demonstrations in the UN-controlled buffer zone.

In Thessaloniki, President Clerides was due to attend at noon today a lunch given in his honour by Greek Ministers of Defence (Gerasimos Arsenis), Macedonia-Thrace (Philippos Petsalnicos) and Aegean (Antonis Kotsakas).

Clerides' visit to northern Greece coincides with the start of a series of cultural events under the title ''Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus: United area of defence and culture''.

Clerides will also visit the town of Alexandroupolis while tomorrow he will travel to the Aegean island of Samothrace to attend a gathering on ''The strategy of Hellenism in the threshold of 2000''.

He will return to Cyprus on Monday afternoon.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1320:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Canada deeply regrets buffer zone killings

Canada's Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, appealed in a written statement, to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities ''to take all necessary measures to prevent further violence and to resume talks aimed at finding a permanent resolution to this conflict.''

He said his country participated in UN peacekeeping operations in Cyprus for 29 years, and continues to support UN efforts towards establishing peace and security on the island.

''Canada supports all measures, consistent with relevant (UN) Security Council resolutions, leading to the demilitarisation of Cyprus as a possible avenue for the peaceful resolution of the Cypriot conflict,'' the Canadian Foreign Minister said.

Turkey has ignored numerous UN resolutions calling for the immediate withdrawal of its occupation troops and settlers from this east Mediterranean island divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Ankara has also turned down a proposal put forward by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides providing for the complete demilitarisation of the island.

Clerides expressed determination to disband the island's National Guard provided that the Turkish occupation troops would be withdrawn and be replaced by an international force.

Meanwhile, some 3000 Cypriots and Greeks living in Canada took part in a demonstration in Ottawa to protest against the latest brutal killings by Turks in Cyprus.

In a resolution addressed to the Canadian Foreign Minister and the Turkish ambassador to Canada, the marchers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish occupation forces and settlers from Cyprus.

They demanded restoration of human rights for all Cypriots, the safe return of the refugees to their homes, the determination of the fate of all missing persons since 1974, the respect of human rights of the Greek Cypriot enclaved and the termination of the destruction of the cultural heritage in the occupied areas.

The Canadian citizens asked their country ''to join all peace-loving nations in condemning this latest flagrant violation of human rights by Turkey and exercise its influence, according to the universally recognised premises of international law and justice, for the re-establishment of Cyprus' unity and respect of its undivided sovereignty, without foreign military occupation forces and buffer zones.''

Among those who addressed the gathering in front of the House of Commons were Canadian Senator Marcel Prud Homme, Greek-Canadian MP for Saint-Denis Eleni Bakopanos, Greek-Canadian MP in Quebec Christos Syros and community representatives.

In a letter to the Canadian Foreign Minister, John English, Chair of the Canada-Cyprus Parliamentary Committee, expressed outrage and deep regret for the recent killings of Greek Cypriots Tasos Isaac and Solomos Solomou.

''Such careless acts of violence only invite greater isolation from the world community and diminish any opportunity for a lasting peace settlement,'' he said.

English welcomed Canada's support to Clerides' demilitarisation proposal and asked the Canadian government to exert diplomatic pressure on the Turkish government to do likewise.

He concluded saying that ''Parliamentarians and Canadians alike have a long commitment to Cyprus and will continue doing all they can to achieve a lasting and just solution for the island and its people.''

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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