Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-04-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] New Ministers take over

[02] Cyprus protests Turkish violations

[03] US ambassador reviews developments with President

1015:CYPPRESS:01

[01] New Ministers take over

During an official ceremony at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of President Clerides, first Minister to give the prescribed affirmation was new Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides, ex Government Spokesman, who replaced Alecos Michaelides.

The other four Ministers are Justice and Public Order Minister Nicos Koshis, who replaced Alecos Evangelou, Education and Culture Minister George Hadjinicolaou in the post of Claire Angelidou, Communications and Works Minister Leontios Ierodiaconou, who replaced Adamos Adamides and Health Minister Christos Solomis, in the post of Manolis Christofides, who was appointed as the new Government Spokesman.

Speaking on behalf of the newly-appointed Ministers, Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides assured President Clerides they will make every effort to continue the work of their predecessors.

President Clerides pointed out to his new Ministers they take over "very responsible posts" and wished them every success.

The new Ministers will take over their duties later today.

Six other Ministers in the eleven-member Cabinet have kept their posts.

They are Christodoulos Christodoulou (Finance), Costas Eliades (Defence), Dinos Michaelides (Interior), Kyriacos Christofi (Commerce, Industry and Tourism), Andreas Moushiouttas (Labour and Social Insurance), Costas Petrides (Agriculture and Natural Resources)

CNA AP/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1435:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus protests Turkish violations

In a letter to UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, Cyprus' Permanent Mission Charges d' Affaires, Dennis Drousiotis, protested Turkish warplanes overflights in Cyprus, on March 27 and 31, as well as on April 1.

The letter, circulated last Monday as an official document of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, notes violations of Cyprus air space and the Nicosia FIR by Turkish military aircraft are contrary to air traffic control international regulations and highly endanger civil aviation flights over Cyprus.

"At the same time they increase tension in Cyprus in violation of repeated Security Council resolutions on Cyprus, which note that such overflights increase political tension on the island and undermine efforts to reach a final settlement," the letter added.

One reconnaissance plane RF-4 and squadrons of Turkish fighters have violated Cyprus' sovereign air space and the Nicosia FIR on seven different occasions in the past few days.

Turkish fighters have repeatedly violated Cyprus' air space and the Nicosia FIR over the past twenty-three years, 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/MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1440:CYPPRESS:03

[03] US ambassador reviews developments with President

Speaking after an hour long meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, American Ambassador to Cyprus, Kenneth Brill, said the US will pursue their proposal, which failed to materialise, "at the right time."

Asked to outline the US position on the recent air violations, he said "we have an idea on the table on how to deal with that, we take the position that there is a way to deal with these kinds of things that ought to be pursued, and then you do not have questions like this arise."

It is much better, he said, to deal with mechanisms to avoid problems than to deal with the problems afterwards.

Brill said he reviewed "several issues of mutual concern" and talked about developments in the Cyprus issue with the President.

"We had as usual a very constructive discussion and we were able to reiterate the fact that relations between the governments are close, and cooperation will continue. We had a fruitful exchange," he told the press on his way out.

The idea of a moratorium, he said, was not part of today's discussions.

Asked to say whether the US would intervene in Cyprus in the event of new Turkish attack against the government-controlled areas of the Republic, Brill said "the US goal in this part of the world, that is in the East Mediterranean and the Aegean, is to avoid conflict and I think our actions over the years have demonstrated that."

"We have a consistency of purpose and objectives, that is to keep conflict from arising between Greece and Turkey or between any other set of states," he explained.

He also pointed out that "the way we dealt with issues that arose earlier in the year indicated our determination to try to keep tensions from ever getting out of hand and producing a conflict."

Asked to say what he expects from today's meeting in Geneva between UN Secretary-General and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, Brill expressed hope that "it will be constructive and it will contribute to further positive developments in the proximity talks process", conducted by the UN.

CNA MM/MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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