Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-04-08

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] President formally announces cabinet reshuffle

[02] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[03] UN envoy leaves for Geneva

[04] New air violations by Turkey

[05] Cyprus, Russia to sign investment agreement

[06] UIT World Cup opens

1620:CYPPRESS:01

[01] President formally announces cabinet reshuffle

A written statement, issued here this afternoon, listed the names of the new members of the cabinet.

Yiannakis Cassoulides, until now Government Spokesman, takes over from Alecos Michaelides as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Nicos Koshis is the new Minister of Justice and Public Order, taking over the post from Alecos Evangelou.

Minister of Education and Culture is now Georghios Hadjinicolaou, who replaces Claire Angelidou.

Christos Solomis takes over from Manolis Christofides as Health Minister. Leontios Ierodiaconou is now Minister of Communications and Works, replacing Adamos Adamides.

Manolis Christofides takes over Cassoulides' old job as Government Spokesman.

The new Ministers will give the prescribed affirmation tomorrow morning before the President of the Republic, the statement added.

CNA MH/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1645:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    79.91 (-0.19)

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

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  89.41 (-0.32)
Approved Investment Companies          69.38 (-0.49)
Insurance Companies                    62.22 (+0.84)
Industrial Companies                   84.53 (-0.18)
Tourist Industries                     64.05 (-0.19)
Commercial Companies                   53.23 (-0.22)
Other Companies                        56.71 (-0.23)

Trading Volume                         CYP 806545.380

CNA MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1235:CYPPRESS:03

[03] UN envoy leaves for Geneva

Speaking before his departure for Geneva to attend tomorrow's meeting between UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, Feissel said "I think we had some good discussions and I think it should be possible to achieve something in terms of good will gestures."

"This is only the beginning," he noted.

Stressing the importance and need for good will gestures, Feissel said the "two sides have to send the right message to each other" and such gestures "will be very helpful for that."

"Both sides have to reassure each other that they are in this together and are seeking a solution in the context of one Cyprus, bi-communal, bi- zonal federation," he added.

He said work is being done on "substantive issues" as well as "good will gestures" , which he said "we believe can help in improving the atmosphere."

Answering press questions, Feissel said he has already reported to Annan "on the very intensive discussions we had with both leaders" (President Glafcos Clerides and Denktash). "What I have reported was what the discussion was all about, what we have tried to achieve and how close we are," Feissel said referring to UN sponsored proximity talks, stressing that the objective is face to face negotiations between President Clerides and Denktash by the middle of this year.

Asked how close the two sides are, Feissel said "I think we are in reach but, of course, until we get there, we are not there."

He added it will be "up to the Secretary-General to decide how we should proceed and I think we will continue with some more discussions."

Stressing that there "is no substitute for face to face negotiations" Feissel repeated that "the elements are on the table" but, as he pointed out, the key ingredient for a solution is "the will to do it."

"If the will to do it is there, there is no doubt that the adjustments can be made which will be reasonable and take into account the interests of the two sides," he added.

Feissel refrained however from saying whether the will to reach a settlement exists, saying that "this is not the time to determine." CNA TA/MCH/../1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1910:CYPPRESS:04

[04] New air violations by Turkey

According to an official press release, twenty - eight aircraft of the Turkish military air force entered the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR) on Monday 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.

It is noted that twenty - four of the warplanes were F-16 fighters.

The government of the Republic of Cyprus has repeatedly protested the violations of its sovereign air space. (CNA/AZK/MM)

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2040:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus, Russia to sign investment agreement

The agreement is expected to be signed, according to Russian News Agency Novosti, on Friday April 11, in Moscow, by Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou and Russian deputy Finance Minister A. Siapovulianc.

Speaking to Novosti, a Russian official referred to Cyprus' great potential in the services sector noting that this Eastern Mediterranean island has become an international commercial centre.

He said current ties are at a satisfactory level as far as direct trade is concerned as well as trade via Cyprus through offshore businesses on the island.

The Russian official said three per cent of his country's imports come from Cyprus while 10 per cent of Russian exports go to Cyprus.

Russian exports to Cyprus include oil and oil products, uncut diamonds and mineral products. Russia imports fruit and juices and other products.

He also said that bilateral trade relations have developed further since the creation in Krassnodar of an Investment Bank in which the Cyprus Development Bank has nearly 50 per cent of a stake. CNA MCH/MM 1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2120:CYPPRESS:06

[06] UIT World Cup opens

Some 350 athletes from more than 45 countries including, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, the USA and Russia, braved the bone-chilling wind at the Cyprus Olympic Shooting Range, just outside the capital Nicosia.

President of the Republic, Glafcos Clerides, opened the event by promising to keep his greeting brief, wishing all the athletes good luck and a pleasant stay in Cyprus.

"Please do not shoot me, I will keep my greeting shorter than the other speakers'," the President told an appreciative audience in jest.

IUT President, Horst Schreiber, congratulated Cyprus for hosting recently three very important events and called the island's shooting range as "one of the best in the world".

"The weather is the only thing they don't have control over", he added.

Cyprus Shooting Association President, Lakis Psimolophitis, said Cyprus, by hosting similar events in the past, has garnered the reputation around the world as "the shooting paradise of the Eastern Mediterranean".

Athletes told CNA the unsettled weather conditions play a key role in determining the winners of the three events.

"It will be a coin toss with these weather conditions," an Australian athlete said.

"The weather is awful here. We expected warm and sunny weather in Cyprus," British double trap competitor, Ian Coley told CNA.

He said Italy, Germany and the US have been traditionally dominant in the sport and will be the teams to beat at the event.

However, American trap and double trap athlete, Bret Erickson, did not discount the Cypriot squad.

"They've got some pretty good shooters," he said.

CNA MH/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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