Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-11-09

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Government sacks Electricity Authority Board

[02] Greek Cypriots continue anti-occupation protest

[03] Germany urges sides to solve Cyprus problem

[04] EU presidency representative arrives in Cyprus

1050:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Government sacks Electricity Authority Board

The Council of Ministers held an extraordinary session last evening under President Glafcos Clerides and decided to sack six Board members and accept the resignation of three others, including that of Board Chairman Polyvios Kolokos.

Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides announced the names of the new Board members. The Cabinet appointed businessman Costas Constantinides as the new EAC Chairman.

The Cabinet also appointed two independent investigators to examine how the tender for the supply of turbines and boilers for the new power plant at Vassiliko was awarded to the higher of two short-listed bids, amounting to more than 70 million Cyprus pounds (approx. 140 million US dollars).

In a letter, the six EAC Board members that had decided to overrule last week the recommendation of the majority of the technical committee and to award the contract to the higher bid, seek for an independent investigation ''to prove that there is no any scandal''.

Meanwhile, Kolokos released today his November 7 resignation letter to Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Kyriakos Christofi, who is the responsible Minister for the EAC.

He explains why he had submitted his resignation from the post of the EAC Board Chairman, admitting that he had failed, at the most critical point of the EAC development, to lead the Authority with success.

Kolokos adds that he is ready to appear before any committee of the House of Representatives or any other body of the Republic to defend the EAC interests.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1150:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Greek Cypriots continue anti-occupation protest

Distributing written material they inform tourists, wishing to cross into the occupied area, about the Turkish atrocities in Cyprus since the Turkish invasion in 1974 and occupation of 37 per cent of this East Mediterranean island's territory.

Among the protestors are mothers of people missing since the Turkish invasion and relatives of men brutally murdered recently by the Turkish troops and extremists.

The Cyprus police have taken security measures to protect free movement through the UN-controlled checkpoint.

The government has expressed opposition to any attempt to close the crossing point although it says it cannot stop the people from expressing their anger against the continuing occupation of their homeland by Turkish troops.

The Turkish occupation regime has threatened to take measures in retaliation to any attempt to close the checkpoint.

Such measures would affect the Greek Cypriots and Maronites living as enclaved in the occupied territory, who regularly visit their relatives in the free areas.

MP Marios Matsakis turned down the blackmail of the occupation regime and announced that the anti-occupation protest will continue on a daily basis instead of every weekend, as it happened in the past four weeks.

After their briefing, most of the tourists choose not to visit the occupied areas.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1250:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Germany urges sides to solve Cyprus problem

The German position is included in a press release issued in Bonn yesterday after a meeting between Germany's Deputy Foreign Minister Werner Hoyer and UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus Han Sung-Joo.

According to an Athens News Agency (ANA) despatch from Bonn, the two men discussed the ''agenda'' of a meeting between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, in case that a high-level dialogue starts.

The German official had a meeting last month in Bonn with Denktash, who paid a private visit to Germany.

The agency reported that Hoyer and Han exchanged views on the current situation on the island and the prospects of a settlement, in the light of the recent escalation of tension in Cyprus because of the brutal murders of four unarmed Greek Cypriots by the Turkish occupation troops and extremists.

The statement says that Germany urges Clerides and Denktash to intensify their efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem under the auspices of the United Nations.

''What is important now, Hoyer says, is the two leaders to contribute to the de-escalation of the situation on the island and show the necessary will towards an agreement,'' according to ANA.

Turkey has blocked all UN efforts for a Cyprus settlement. Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1355:CYPPRESS:04

[04] EU presidency representative arrives in Cyprus

Nicosia, Nov 9 (CNA) -- Ambassador Kester Heaslip, the European Union presidency representative for Cyprus, arrives here on November 27 for a week-long series of meetings with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides, EU sources have said.

The same sources also said they expect to see ''some movement in the first half of 1997 towards a settlement in Cyprus'' and reiterated the position that ''accession without a solution is possible.''

''Progress towards a settlement is what is required, not a solution as such. If there is progress, we do not see any EU member state blocking Cyprus accession,'' the sources told CNA.

Heaslip, who will be accompanied by EU official Serge Abou, will meet President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, political party leaders and others.

''The visit is a follow up to the EU current rotating presidency's suggestion to better inform the Turkish Cypriots in general, and not just their political leadership, about matters pertaining to EU accession,'' Union sources said.

The Cyprus government, they added, has agreed to this suggestion but noted that any contacts should not, directly or indirectly, imply recognition of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey.

Heaslip, who represents the Irish presidency, has already had meetings with representatives of other countries for Cyprus, including Britain's special envoy Sir David Hannay and US officials dealing with Cyprus.

Cyprus' accession, the sources said, is estimated to be realised by the turn of the century and pointed out that accession negotiations will start as scheduled and ''will progress normally and probably take two years, irrespective of political developments.''

EU members are ''eager to wrap up their Intergovernmental Conference, currently underway, at their summit in June in Amsterdam,'' the sources added.

The conclusions of accession negotiations will have to be cleared by the EU Council, approved by the governments of member-states and be ratified by all 15 national parliaments, the sources explained, noting that this last leg of the process could be ''a hurdle that must be overcome.''

They also underlined that Cyprus, like any other candidate country in the past, will face difficulties on the way to accession in terms of aligning with EU directives but is expected to be given a ''grace period'' to deal with problems which might arise in the shipping and air transport industries or other manufacturing industries.

''The EU accession can help towards a solution in Cyprus if there is genuine will to reach one,'' the sources, who requested anonymity, told CNA.

The first six months of 1997 will have to see decisive movement towards this objective, they said, noting that the 1998 presidential elections in Cyprus pose a certain difficulty in these efforts because pre-election campaign would inevitably affect the entire process and may put it on hold for a while.

Referring to EU-Turkish relations, the sources noted that although the EU can now deal with Turkey in the framework of the country's association with the EU, the real lever on Turkey is basically the US.

They underlined that Turkey has no veto on Cyprus' accession course and the country has to make up its mind whether it wants its links with the Union to become closer or not.

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

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article