Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-04-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Turkish fighters violate Cyprus air space

[03] Green light for new Nicosia General Hospital

[04] Top UN envoy seeks clarifications

[05] Party leader reaffirms decision to quit

[06] Strict criteria for foreign workers

[07] US applies crisis prevention policy

[08] UN envoy to make recommendations

[09] Matsis leaves top party post - deputy announces candidacy

1610:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    80.06 (-0.47)

Highest: 82.46 (2/1/97)
Lowest : 73.90 (30/1/97)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  89.70 (-0.99)
Approved Investment Companies          69.72 (-0.91)
Insurance Companies                    61.70 (-0.10)
Industrial Companies                   84.68 (+1.49)
Tourist Industries                     64.17 (+0.08)
Commercial Companies                   53.35 (-0.45)
Other Companies                        56.84 (+0.07)

Trading Volume                         CYP 795139.140

CNA AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1630:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Turkish fighters violate Cyprus air space

According to an official press released, "twenty-four aircraft of the Turkish military air force entered the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR) on Sunday and headed for the Israeli FIR, in contravention of international air traffic control regulations."

"Some of these Turkish warplanes violated Cyprus' sovereign air space, flying over the Turkish-occupied northern Cape of Apostolos Andreas, in the Karpass Peninsula," it said.

Twenty of the 24 military aircraft were fighters, the announcement added.

One reconnaissance plane RF-4 and squadrons of Turkish fighters had violated Cyprus' sovereign air space on four different occasions between March 27 and April 1.

Turkish fighters have repeatedly violated Cyprus air space and the Nicosia FIR over the past twenty years or so, since Turkish troops occupied the island's northern part, with complete disregard to international safety regulations.

The government has protested the violations to international fora but Turkey appears unwilling to comply with international law and order on this score.

CNA AP/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1650:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Green light for new Nicosia General Hospital

Health Minister, Manolis Christofides, signed the contracts for the 430- bed Hospital, expected to cost 37,5 million Cyprus pounds (around 75 million US dollars).

According to Christofides, the foundation stone will be laid on April 14, marking exactly 58 years to the day the foundation stone was laid for the existing Nicosia General Hospital, on April 14, 1939.

Construction work will begin on May 5 and will be completed in approximately 5 years, he added.

The Hospital will be built in the southeastern Nicosia suburb of Athalassa on approximately 13 hectares of land.

The Health Minister also said other facilities will be built on the site, like a Nursing School and a Training Medical Centre.

The decision to transfer the existing "Paraskevaidion Transplant Centre" to the new Hospital area is still pending.

Christofides said the Hospital's design allows for additional floors to be constructed if they are needed, without any change to the architectural plans.

Tenders for construction work have been granted to a local firm "Apostolides and Panagides" while the architectural plans have been completed by Cypriot architects "Kyriakides, Fereos and Kyriakides".

CNA MH/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1700:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Top UN envoy seeks clarifications

"Feissel requested a meeting with President Glafcos Clerides on Sunday to make some further enquiries on various issues, already discussed during the three weeks of talks with the two sides and ensure he (Feissel) would be conveying correctly the positions of our side," Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides, said here today.

Clerides and Feissel have had two unscheduled meetings on Sunday and Monday during which the UN aide sought clarifications about President Clerides' positions.

The UN official has also had similar meetings over the weekend with Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, in preparation for a report on the proximity talks to UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

Denktash is due to see Annan on Wednesday in Geneva. Feissel leaves tomorrow for Geneva to be present at Wednesday meeting.

"The issue of the missing persons was also on the agenda of today's meeting," Cassoulides said but did not disclose any details.

He said, though, there is no word as yet about the appointment of the UN representative to a UN-sponsored Committee of Missing Persons, a position which has remained vacant for months.

"Feissel sought some additional information on issues discussed," Cassoulides told the press.

Replying to questions, the Spokesman said "we have outlined all our positions and views not only on the fundamental aspects of the Cyprus problem."

The UN-led proximity talks will resume next week.

Commenting on good will gestures by both sides, aimed at improving the climate of the talks, Cassoulides pointed out that "one must not remain under the impression that good will measures overshadow the primary objective of the talks."

The gestures are useful in that they can create a better atmosphere in which the talks can be carried out, he said.

Asked if good will gestures will precede face-to-face negotiations, Cassoulides said "when these (measures) are agreed on, they can be implemented, but that does not mean during or prior to negotiations."

CNA MM/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1815:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Party leader reaffirms decision to quit

Shortly after the decision was made public at a press conference here today, Demetris Syllouris, DISY General Secretary, has called an impromptu press conference, during which he is widely expected to announce his own candidature for the post of DISY leader.

Already, high ranking DISY member, party deputy president, Nicos Anastasiades has put himself forward as a candidate.

"I have not been acting. My decision to quit was painful and imperative, " Matsis said.

Matsis announced his departure from DISY leadership about a month ago and the party is facing elections in the next few weeks.

CNA MM/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1925:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Strict criteria for foreign workers

Michaelides was peaking after a meeting of a ministerial Committee, made up of the Interior Minister himself, Labour Minister, Andreas Mousioutas, and officials from the Foreign Affairs and the Justice and Public Order Ministries, with the employers' organisations OEV and KEVE and the trade unions SEK and PEO.

Michaelides noted the Committee had to act about the situation of foreign workers in Cyprus, noting the meeting aimed to inform the rest of social partners of measures decided to be taken.

Under the new measures, Michaelides said, apart from stricter criteria for the whole of the economy, for a number of sectors employment of foreigners will be completely banned.

Asked about the number of illegal foreigners working on the island, the Minister said "no exact records are available, but we know their number has dropped as a result of legislation, police operations, and court rulings, which force employers to comply with existing legislation."

According to the island's major trade unions, SEK and PEO, the legally employed foreign workers are currently totalling around 25.000.

CNA GG/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1935:CYPPRESS:07

[07] US applies crisis prevention policy

He also reiterated his administration's support for UN efforts to start direct negotiations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides on an overall settlement in Cyprus and said there seems to be "good cooperation" from the two sides.

Speaking during a visit to the port of this southern coastal town, Brill said "Feissel (top UN envoy on the island) is conducting the proximity talks very carefully. What appears to be from these talks is good cooperation from the leaders of the two sides."

The US, he said, are supportive of that effort and hopefully they will succeed.

Asked if the US has any plans to avert an armed conflict in Cyprus, Brill replied "American interests in the Aegean and the Mediterranean are to avoid conflict and to ensure that there is no conflict between Greece and Turkey or other states in the region."

"That is a very high priority of ours and we are working very hard towards this," the ambassador added.

Invited to comment on the absence of a US reaction to the recent violations of Cyprus' air space and FIR Nicosia, Brill noted that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had worked out an arrangement where "we could have had a moratorium of overflights of any sort in Cyprus."

"Unfortunately that offer has not been taken up. May be one day it will be," he said.

Replying to questions about a US initiative, Brill said the US effort on Cyprus has been "quite consistent and ongoing" and said the American administration is "very supportive of the process that the UN is leading for the proximity talks."

"We would like to see those (talks) succeed and we would like to see the beginning of direct negotiations between the two leaders (President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash)," Brill remarked.

Efforts will be continuous to support that process and what the US does "depends on what needs to be done at the time," he explained.

He said the US talks to the "right people, in all the right places, in all the right capitals," when invited to specify the US interlocutors in Turkey, but refrained to be more specific.

On his visit to the port, he said shipping is "critical to the Cyprus economy and the trade between the two countries (US and Cyprus)."

The US, he said, would like to see trade relations with Cyprus expand and noted the increase in new US investment on the island.

"We would like to see more of that and help the port attract more business," Brill concluded.

CNA PI/MM/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1940:CYPPRESS:08

[08] UN envoy to make recommendations

Annan's resident representative in Cyprus, Gustave Feissel, told CNA today he will see Annan prior to his meeting on Wednesday with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, in Geneva.

Feissel said his report is ready, and said he would be "giving the Secretary-General my full support."

Asked if he would be putting forward any suggestions to Annan in his report, apart from outlining the views of the two sides, Feissel replied "I clearly would not be doing my job, if that is all I would do."

Invited to be more specific about the kind of suggestions he would propose, Feissel restricted himself in saying "all kinds" and refrained from any further comment.

Asked if he thinks there has been good cooperation from the two leaders, he said one has to wait and see.

Feissel leaves for Geneva tomorrow and he will return to the island on Thursday afternoon.

CNA MM/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2115:CYPPRESS:09

[09] Matsis leaves top party post - deputy announces candidacy

Announcing his long-awaited final decision on the party presidency, Matsis said "political reason dictates to me this painful but necessary decision not to seek reelection to the post of DISY leader in June's party elections."

Minutes after Matsis' announcement, in a separate move, DISY General Secretary, Demetris Syllouris, announced his candidature for the post, in June's party election conference, the second party official to do so.

Deputy party president, Nicos Anastasiades, had said earlier he would stand for the leadership.

Last month Matsis announced his decision to abandon the party leadership at an extraordinary party conference. He will retain his parliamentary seat in the House of Representatives.

He said the different philosophies within the party and its down- grading are the problems beleaguering DISY which, as he said, continues to lack a decisive role in the political arena.

Matsis called for a "change in mentality" and criticised those who refuse to allow DISY to take the initiative in political life and "participate in shaping decisions."

Warning against a collision course, Matsis said "my decision to leave DISY leadership is a political act which aims to underline that I do not accept that DISY is the second-best decision-making centre."

He called for a "fresh start" and stressed the party still has a lot to offer to improve governance of the state and to help find a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus.

"Our motto should be unity," he said and pledged to continue his own contribution to the party itself.

Syllouris told a press conference he respected Matsis' decision and said the party needs a "breath of fresh air".

He also expressed the conviction that DISY can pull itself together and win next February's presidential elections.

On his part, Anastasiades, so far the only other candidate for the party leadership, said Syllouris has every right to be a candidate for the leadership.

Praising Matsis' high calibre, Anastasiades said he would rather have an electoral show-down with Matsis and would accept a defeat than see Matsis leave in the manner that he did.

CNA MM/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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