Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-10-23

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From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" <dist@hri.org>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus to attend MENA summit

[02] Finnish experience to help Cyprus' EU accession course

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] President Clerides' reply to Denktash ready

[05] Primakov sends message to Cyprus President

[06] ''United Democrats'' arise from parties' merging

[07] Swiss official to visit Cyprus

1350 :CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus to attend MENA summit

Participants to the three-day meeting, to take place in Cairo from 12-14 November, are expected to reiterate their support to the peace process and commitment to promote a regional economic development process in the Middle East and North Africa.

Michaelides will be accompanied by representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the Central Bank, the Industrialists and Employers Federation, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.

Cyprus has attended the previous two MENA Summits, in Casablanca and Amman. In Amman Cyprus was one of eight founding member-states of the Middle East Mediterranean Travel and Tourism Association (MEMTTA).

During the Amman meeting, last October, Michaelides issued a statement, welcoming efforts to establish a Palestinian Industrial and Development Bank.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1400:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Finnish experience to help Cyprus' EU accession course

Addressing a seminar on EU matters, organised by the Cyprus Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the Finnish Foreign Ministry, Kosonen noted his country ''would very much like to see Cyprus as an EU member''.

''We see enlargement as a positive process for peace, stability and the well-being of the people of Europe,'' he added.

Kosonen said Finland believes the EU should begin accession negotiations with all 12 applicant countries, and suggested the pace of these negotiations depend on how ready each country is for membership.

Negotiations, he pointed out, take time and are not easy, therefore, preparation from both sides would make the procedure quicker.

Officials from all ministries involved in Cyprus' harmonisation process with the acquis communautaire are attending the two-day seminar, during which Kosonen will outline his country's experiences before and after accession.

Finland joined the EU last year, along with Austria and Sweden.

Cyprus applied for full membership in July 1990. It signed an association agreement with the European Community in 1972 and a customs union in 1987.

Addressing the seminar, Director General of the EU Division at the Cyprus Foreign Ministry, Panicos Pouros, said Finland's experience would be ''of particular interest, as it would shed more light on key issues, as well as the enlargement and common security policy''.

He added ''it is important for us to follow the IGC closely and to see how it affects our course towards Europe''.

Pouros said the harmonisation process is a ''top priority'' for Cyprus and noted the island ''is eligible for accession''.

The EU Council of Ministers decided in March 1995 to give Cyprus a firm date for the start of membership talks, six months after the end of the IGC.

CNA MA/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1740:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    83.35 (-0.10)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  91.06 (+0.17)
Approved Investment Companies          74.97 (-0.07)
Insurance Companies                    61.64 (-0.44)
Industrial Companies                   81.03 (-0.55)
Tourist Industries                     73.24 (-0.25)
Commercial Companies                   68.15 (-0.31)
Other Companies                        80.60 (-1.16)

Trading Volume                         CYP 1011813.666

CNA AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1800:CYPPRESS:04

[04] President Clerides' reply to Denktash ready

Speaking to the press, Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides said the letter will be prepared today, but declined to reveal its content.

The Spokesman explained that President Clerides' reply to Denktash will be first sent to the Greek Cypriot political party leaders for consideration before being sent to the Turkish Cypriot leader.

Cassoulides said if the political leaders wish to make any comments on the letter they can communicate with President Clerides.

Denktash sent to President Clerides a 33-page letter on September 22, in reply to a letter sent by President Clerides urging Denktash to accept his proposal for the island's complete demilitarisation. Denktash rejected the idea.

Clerides' first letter followed last August's murders of two Greek Cypriot demonstrators in the Dherynia UN-controlled buffer zone, by Turkish extremists.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1825:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Primakov sends message to Cyprus President

This was announced today by Demetris Christofias, General Secretary of Cyprus' leftwing AKEL party, who returned today from a visit to Moscow.

Christofias described the message as ''important'' but he did not refer to its content.

He told journalists on his return at Larnaca International Airport that Russia insists on its position that any initiative for a solution to the Cyprus problem should be under the auspices of the United Nations.

While in Moscow the main opposition party leader in Cyprus had meetings with Russian officials, including Gennady Seleznyov, Chairman of the State Duma and Gennady Zyuganov, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

The Duma Chairman expressed the desire to head a Duma delegation for a visit to Cyprus, Christofias said.

Before flying to Moscow, The AKEL leader visited China, at the invitation of Communist Party.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1835:CYPPRESS:06

[06] ''United Democrats'' arise from parties' merging

A joint announcement of the two parties, issued here Wednesday, said following some four months of talks between KED and ADISOK a framework of an overall agreement was reached for the merging of the two parties.

Final decisions will be taken by the two parties' collective bodies and if passed a joint congress will be held on December 1, the announcement said.

Centre-right KED was founded in 1994 by former Cyprus President George Vassiliou and in the May 1996 elections it won two seats in the 56-member House of Representatives.

Vassiliou and his wife Androulla were elected deputies.

Socialist ADISOK is a splinter of the leftwing AKEL party. It was formed in 1990 but it has failed twice to elect members in the House.

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[07] Swiss official to visit Cyprus

Nicosia, Oct 23 (CNA) -- Jakob Kellenberger, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland arrives here tomorrow for a three-day official visit, at the invitation of the Cyprus Foreign Ministry.

On Friday, the Swiss official will have meetings with Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides and the Ministry's Permanent Secretary Alecos Shambos, followed by official talks.

He will also meet Nicosia Mayor Lellos Demetriades, followed by a visit to the demarcation line in the walled city of Nicosia, the world's last divided capital.

On Friday afternoon Kellenberger will have a meeting with Brigadier General Ahti T.P. Vartiainen, Commander of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

He leaves on Saturday.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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