Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-07-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Second day of direct talks

[02] Procedural issues discussed on first day of Cyprus talks

[03] US welcomes start of Cyprus direct talks

[04] Clinton's bimonthly report on Cyprus

[05] Jailed US basketball players released on Presidential pardon

1000:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Second day of direct talks

Troutbeck, Jul 10 (CNA) -- UN-sponsored direct talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides continue here today in a slightly modified form, while the second round of face-to-face negotiations is scheduled for 11 - 16 August, somewhere near Geneva, reliable sources have said.

Outlining today's events, as far as the talks are concerned, the sources explained that UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor for Cyprus, Diego Cordovez, will have a private meeting Thursday morning with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, which will be followed by a meeting with President Glafcos Clerides.

The two morning meetings are expected to be followed by a joint Cordovez-Clerides-Denktash meeting, to be attended by their advisers as well.

"The parties involved will seek to find procedural methods (for negotiations) which will be followed in the days ahead," the same sources added.

The two sides participating in the direct talks were not called to take a stance on UN Chief's, Kofi Annan, opening statement yesterday.

It has also become clear that no suggestions were presented to the parties at the first session, as Annan had mentioned in his opening speech.

After the UN Chief opened the talks, he hosted a lunch for Clerides and Denktash, which was followed by the first session of talks, chaired by Cordovez.

CNA MM/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1005:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Procedural issues discussed on first day of Cyprus talks

Poughkeepsie, Jul 10 (CNA) -- Discussions on the first day of direct talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides focused entirely on procedural matters, President Glafcos Clerides has said.

"We only dealt with procedural issues", President Clerides told the press after he briefed Cypriot party leaders here at the Sheraton hotel.

The briefing took place in a candle-lit hotel room since electricity supply was interrupted because of power failure, which lasted about an hour and a half.

The President refrained from making any further comments.

Echoing his statements, his adviser Attorney General Alecos Markides told the press discussions focused on "the methodology which should be followed."

Replying to questions by CNA, he said neither a paper, nor talking points were submitted at discussions during the first day of direct talks.

Earlier yesterday, President Clerides attended a lunch at Troutbeck, hosted by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and later had a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, chaired by Diego Cordovez, Annan's Special Advisor for Cyprus.

CNA MM/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1010:CYPPRESS:03

[03] US welcomes start of Cyprus direct talks

"We were delighted to see the convening of the meeting in New York this morning between the Cypriot leaders, President Clerides and Mr. Denktash, and delighted that they shook hands", Burns told his regular press briefing.

"We very much wholeheartedly support the efforts of UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan, to convene them", he added.

The State Department official stressed that the US "wishes this conference might be successful", pledging Washington's support to the process.

"That was what Dick Holbrooke (US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus) has conveyed to Kofi Annan earlier this week", the US Spokesman added.

CNA DA/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1020:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Clinton's bimonthly report on Cyprus

Washington, Jul 10 (CNA) -- US President Bill Clinton has expressed in his bimonthly report on Cyprus his government's appreciation over the moratorium of overflights observed, as he notes, by the governments of Cyprus and Turkey.

As he points out in the report, which covers the period April 1, 1997 through May 31, 1997 and was made public by the Whitehouse yesterday, he was particularly pleased "by the decisions taken by the governments of Cyprus and Turkey to observe a moratorium on flights over Cyprus."

"In April the government of Cyprus announced that it would not invite Greek aircraft to overfly Cyprus during a joint military exercise in May. It also indicated no other overflights are planned at this time", President Clinton says in the report, adding that, "Turkey, later decided to refrain from overflying Cyprus as long as Greece does not."

The US President says he "was also encouraged by the effective action taken against extremists on both sides of the island when they attempted to disrupt a (bicommunal) concert in May."

He also makes reference to the appointment of US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke, even though the appointment was not made during the reporting period.

The US President notes that the appointment "reflects our strong interest and continued commitment to promoting Cyprus reconciliation efforts."

CNA DA/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1310:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Jailed US basketball players released on Presidential pardon

The four men, three professional basketball players playing for local teams and a Marine assigned to the US Embassy in the capital, were released July 4 after serving only two weeks of a 12 to 14-month sentence.

Central Prison Director George Anastasiades told CNA that basketball players Kip Stone, 25, Anthony Reed, 26, Randy Davis, 27, and Marine Christopher Wallace, 25, have been deported from Cyprus and may not return for at least the time they were convicted.

Nicosia District Court sentenced July 20 Stone and Reed to 14 months, while Davis and Wallace were given a 12-month sentence.

All four had pleaded guilty to charges of causing bodily harm to Greek Cypriot policeman Christodoulos Christodoulou, 25.

Christodoulou, who was with his girlfriend at a popular Nicosia cafe on March 13, asked the Americans sitting at an adjacent table to stop harassing her.

After an exchange of words, Christodoulou was attacked with tables and chairs and was kicked repeatedly in the head, which left him in a comma for about a week.

Charges against a fifth American, Michael Reese, 27, who was sitting with the other men during the night of the attack, were withdrawn for lack of evidence.

The law provides for a sentence of up to seven years in prison for anyone found guilty of causing bodily harm.

However, in rendering its decision, the court took into consideration that Christodoulou had been financially compensated and had dropped charges, as well as the fact that none of the defendants had a criminal record.

CNA MH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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