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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-10-25Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" <dist@hri.org>CONTENTS
1220:CYPPRESS:01[01] Cyprus renews commitment to UN CharterNicosia, Oct 25 (CNA) -- President Glafcos Clerides has expressed Cyprus' ''solemn commitment and unwavering dedication to the objectives and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations''.In a message, sent to UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the United Nations, President Clerides extended his ''heartiest felicitations'' on behalf of the government and people of Cyprus. The President pointed out ''we must all redouble our efforts in order to meet the great challenge of our times''. He noted this is the ''realization of the vision of the founding fathers for a world, where peace, justice, security, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms will prevail for all.'' President Clerides' statement was concluded with a mention on the protracted Cyprus problem. ''We continue to place our hopes on the United Nations for a just, viable and lasting solution to the question of Cyprus through the implementation of all the relevant resolutions,'' he said. Turkey, which occupies 37 per cent of Cyprus territory for 22 years now, has blocked all UN efforts for a Cyprus settlement. CNA AP/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1500:CYPPRESS:02[02] Clerides discusses missing persons question with relativesNicosia, Oct 25 (CNA) -- The committees of relatives of missing persons have expressed optimism that the UN Secretary-General will soon proceed with the appointment the third member of the UN Investigatory Committee for Missing Persons to replace Paul Wurth, who has retired.In statements after the committees' monthly meeting today with President Glafcos Clerides, the President of the National Committee for the Missing, Father Christoforos said Clerides assured them that the Secretary-General's representative will arrive on the island in the near future. Father Christoforos added that the new UN representative, should be able to yield results to satisfy the relatives of the missing persons and help the committee continue its work. He said all obstacles facing the committees of relatives of missing persons have been overcome and now it is up to the Turks. Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides, who took part at the meeting, said the Greek Cypriot side's greatest concern is the appointment of a replacement for Wurth. ''The delay in the appointment causes anxiety because the issue has dragged on for long'', Michaelides said. ''Since our side has replied positively, the issue should continue the soonest,'' he added. The Minister said the government has submitted once more an appeal to the Secretary-General to quicken the appointment because it is clearly a humanitarian issue. The Greek Cypriot side has submitted to the UN Committee 1,493 files on persons listed as missing since the 1974 Turkish, invasion, and the Turkish Cypriot side 500 files. The Committee, set up in 1981, has been unable to produce evidence for even a single case due to procedural obstacles raised by the Turkish side, although many missing persons were seen or heard in Turkish prisons long after the cessation of hostilities. CNA EC/GP/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1600:CYPPRESS:03[03] Cyprus Stock ExchangeNicosia, Oct 25 (CNA) -- The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:CSE All Share Index 83.78 (+0.24) Sectural Indices Banks 92.14 (+0.74) Approved Investment Companies 75.32 (+0.48) Insurance Companies 61.27 (-1.23) Industrial Companies 80.25 (-0.88) Tourist Industries 74.31 (+0.92) Commercial Companies 67.89 (+0.47) Other Companies 78.91 (-1.89) Trading Volume CYP 788728.320* The difference in brackets represents the percentage increase (+) or decrease (-) of the index from the previous stock exchange meeting. CNA MCH/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1910:CYPPRESS:04[04] No evidence of Greek Cypriot involvement in Turkish soldier killingNicosia, Oct 25 (CNA) -- The Sovereign British Base Areas Police (SBA) in Cyprus have not come up with evidence proving that the killing of a Turkish soldier, of Kurdish origin, and the wounding of a second, last month, were carried out by Greek Cypriots, as the Turkish Cypriot side alleges.In a report prepared a day after the incident, the Bases note there was no evidence of a serious shooting scene nor an ejection pattern one would expect if there was shooting from an automatic weapon. The shooting occurred on September 8, in Turkish occupied territory bordering the British Bases area. The Turkish Cypriot side claimed Greek Cypriots shot the two soldiers, while they were asleep in their observation post, in revenge for the cold blooded killings of two young Greek Cypriots by Turkish extremists in August. Both soldiers were removed from the observation post before the Bases police arrived at the scene, according to the SBA Police report. The report, published today in the weekly magazine ''Selides'', also obtained by CNA, notes that evidential aspects in the observation post where the two soldiers were allegedly shot ''did not appear consistent with a serious shooting scene''. It also points out there were only small patches of blood droplets and that ''the inside of the building was otherwise remarkably clean.'' ''With two men allegedly having been shot at close quarter with a number of rounds fired from a high velocity weapon, I fully expected to find human tissue and debris from exit wounds. There was no evidence whatsoever of such exit wounds debris'', the writer of the report says. He adds that ''the position of the shell cases simply did not appear consistent with the ejection pattern of shell cases from a automatic weapon''. The British serviceman further notes only a small path of smeared dried blood outside the observation post, consistent with something having been dragged across the rock. ''There was otherwise no visible evidence of a shooting incident'' he says. The writer of the report describes the large number of UN vehicles at the scene, even before the SBA police arrival, as ''an unusual occurrence as there is no UN buffer zone on this stretch of road''. He adds UNFICYP had confirmed that a UN doctor has seen both soldiers. CNA MA/MCH/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY2010:CYPPRESS:05[05] Rifkind says, easier for a united Cyprus to join the EUNicosia, Oct 25 (CNA) -- It will be much easier for Cyprus to join to the European Union (EU) if it is a united island, British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said during a debate in the House of Commons yesterday.He added ''it would be extraordinarily difficult to incorporate a divided island into the EU, and that point is increasingly understood''. Replying to the Foreign Secretary's reference to Cyprus, Shadow Secretary Robin Cook agreed it is important for EU negotiations that the problem is resolved beforehand. However, Cook said there could be no solution in Cyprus if Turkey does not agree and noted ''Turkey does not want Cyprus to succeed in its application to join the EU''. ''I therefore put to him (Rifkind) strongly that, while we should work for an early resolution of the dispute over the island, we must be careful that we concede no Turkish veto over Cyprus' right to apply to, or to be admitted to, the EU'' the Shadow Secretary added. Rifkind is expected to visit the island before Christmas, to back efforts to achieve common ground, that would enable peace talks to begin. It will be the first official visit by a British Foreign Secretary since the Turkish invasion and occupation of the island's northern third in 1974. During the debate, Rifkind said Britain has ''a great interest in the future of Cyprus'' as it is one of the island's three guarantor powers, along with Turkey and Greece, and retains two sovereign Bases here. He also noted more than 250 thousand people of Cypriot origins live in the UK. CNA MA/MCH/1996ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |