Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-02-25

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] EU-Cyprus meeting postponed

[02] British envoy visits Athens

[03] Occupation regime drags Greek Cypriot before "court"

[04] New violations of Cyprus' airspace

[05] Cyprus to host NGO body for Mediterranean cooperation

[06] President receives Finnish Special Envoy on Cyprus

[07] Cyprus potential buyer of Iraqi oil

[08] Greek Cypriot "remanded in custody" by occupation regime

1000:CYPPRESS:01

[01] EU-Cyprus meeting postponed

Dutch EU rotating presidency called the meeting off when the 15 member- states failed to reach agreement on Turkish Cypriot participation in the structured dialogue.

Last night's discussions among EU Foreign Ministers focused on a joint British, German and French attempt to include a phrase in the final text of the common statement that "circumstances will allow soon the participation of all the Cypriots in the accession process."

Invited to clarify the meaning of the proposed text, none of the three Foreign Ministers came up with an answer.

The Cyprus government does not object to Turkish Cypriot participation in membership talks but wants the Turkish Cypriots to be part of the official delegation of the government of the internationally-recognised Republic of Cyprus, which, according to an EU 1995 statement is the "sole interlocutor."

Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides is already in Brussels for today's Association Council meeting.

Greece's representative to Monday's EU session, Deputy Foreign Minister George Papandreou, found himself up against all the rest of EU members arguing against the proposed text as no other EU partner sided with his position.

Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos was quoted as saying that Greece condemned the "devious and hostile" to Cyprus attitude of both Britain and Germany.

He said that an attempt was made by both countries to introduce the status of "parallel negotiators" for the Turkish Cypriots in relation to EU- Cyprus talks.

"The EU does not belong to anybody, we shall not accept any masters. If some people have mistaken our moderate stand as weakness, the time has come for them to learn they are very much mistaken," Pangalos was quoted by the Athens News Agency as saying.

Papandreou said this latest development would force Greece to reassess its position on EU enlargement.

He said German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel has offered a "gift" to Turkey with his insistence on the proposed text and noted that he was creating a crisis at a time when tension prevails in the area.

Papandreou pointed out that Greece's EU partners render Cyprus a "hostage" to Turkey's benefit.

Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion, applied for full EU membership in 1990. It signed an association agreement with the European Community in 1972 and a customs union agreement in 1987.

CNA NB/MM/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1010:CYPRESS:02

[02] British envoy visits Athens

Sir David has already visited Ankara, where he had talks with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Inal Batu.

He said Britain's aim is to achieve direct talks between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, within the first half of 1997.

The British envoy is expected to visit Cyprus in mid-March.

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

CNA MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1030:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Occupation regime drags Greek Cypriot before "court"

The young Greek Cypriot has been "charged" with "illegal entry into a military area", according to the UN.

The man, 23-year-old Sotiris Louca Siderenou, of Sotira village, was apprehended by Turkish troops on Friday night, led to a so-called police station where he was questioned and then transferred to Turkish-occupied Nicosia.

The UN has talked to Siderenou and he is in "good health", Rokoszweski said.

He said a UN officer and a doctor will be present in the self-styled trial to pick up Siderenou, if the "court" decides to release him today, a possibility the UN spokesman has not ruled out.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

CNA MM/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1050:CYPPRESS:04

[04] New violations of Cyprus' airspace

According to a Cyprus radio report, two RF-4 planes took off from Eskisehir military base in Turkey and flew towards Israel, violating the Republic's airspace.

They flew over the Turkish-occupied eastern tip of the island and the occupied eastern coastal town of Famagusta.

The violations took place at 0930 local time (0730 GMT) yesterday.

Last week, two RF-4 planes, especially used for photographing were located by Cyprus National Guard radars making reconnaissance flights over the sea area off the southern and western coastal towns of Limmasol and Paphos and between Cyprus and the Greek island of Rhodes.

Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides said yesterday Cyprus' Permanent Mission to the UN was instructed to make representations against repeated violations of the Republic's airspace.

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

CNA MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1330:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus to host NGO body for Mediterranean cooperation

This was decided by a meeting of the International Centre for Mediterranean Studies (DIKEMME), held recently in Cyprus, and chaired by Cyprus Education and Culture Minister Claire Angelidou.

The meeting also decided that DIKEMME permanent secretariat will be based in the Greek island of Rhodes and will deal with economic, cultural and scientific cooperation among Mediterranean countries.

A resolution adopted by the meeting calls on all the people of the Mediterranean to turn their attention to everything that unites them and on this basis "to develop Mediterranean cooperation, reject and condemn any tactic which defies human rights and civilisation."

The resolution also notes the right of "every Mediterranean society to seek from others, through peaceful means, the respect of fundamental human values which form the basis of civilisation."

It also stresses the need to maintain peace in the Mediterranean as a basic prerequisite for the survival, development and progress of Mediterranean people and civilisation.

In her remarks to the meeting, Angelidou said it was important that Cyprus should host DIKEMME conferences and noted that decision by this body should be implemented.

DIKEMME chairman, Yiannis Paraskevas, said the purpose of the Centre is to promote the Mediterranean basin as place of cooperation and peaceful coexistence among countries as well as to maintain and develop political and intellectual features of the Mediterranean people.

The meeting decided to organise a conference on "The Influence and Contribution of religion to the cultural development of the Mediterranean countries."

CNA MM/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1340:CYPPRESS:06

[06] President receives Finnish Special Envoy on Cyprus

Speaking after a meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, today, Sorsa said he was here on a fact-finding mission that would "benefit bilateral relations, make it possible for Finland to take an active part in Cyprus- European Union membership negotiations and to prepare for the Finnish presidency of EU, in the latter part of 1999."

The Finnish official will have further contacts in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey in order to prepare an "impartial" report, as he described it, which he hopes to submit to his government by next May.

On Thursday, he will meet with Foreign Minister, Alecos Michaelides and will later cross into the Turkish-occupied areas to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

"My discussions here aim at getting as good as possible and as impartial as possible information on the state of the problems in Cyprus and after that prepare an impartial report for the Finnish government", he said.

Asked whether he was optimistic about Cyprus' accession to the EU, he said, "to that question I have no answer and it is not my duty to answer that question" but added that "there is a serious will on the side of the EU that the negotiations for membership could start six months after the Intergovernmental Conference."

Sorsa refrained from commenting on yesterday's failure by the EU Council of Ministers to reach an agreement on Turkish Cypriot participation in the structured dialogue.

Invited to comment on the Cyprus Republic's proposal for participation of Turkish Cypriots in the official delegation, Sorsa said "if there was a delegation which would represent both parts of the island then certainly that would be welcomed by the EU."

CNA MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1410:CYPPRESS:07

[07] Cyprus potential buyer of Iraqi oil

Takis Lefkaritis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Petroleum Refinery, told CNA today the visit followed an invitation by the Iraqi authorities, as part of their efforts to resume oil exports, in view of last year's Security Council decision to lift, conditionally, the Iraqi oil export embargo.

The embargo was decided by the Security Council, following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, in 1990.

Lefkaritis said a number of other European countries as well, are potential buyers of Iraqi oil.

The Cyprus delegation was formed by representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the Cyprus Petroleum Refinery and oil companies.

Iraq, had for years been Cyprus' main oil supplier. This is considered as the main reason of the two countries' steps, towards a new oil agreement.

CNA GG/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1420:CYPPRESS:08

[08] Greek Cypriot "remanded in custody" by occupation regime

According to press reports from the occupied areas, 23-year-old Savvas Siderenou, of Sotera village, was "remanded in custody" for "violating" the so-called borders of the occupation regime.

Siderenou strayed into the area occupied since Turkey invaded the island in 1974, last Friday, after leaving an engagement party.

He was abducted near Akhna village, within the sovereign British area of Dhekelia.

CNA MA/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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