Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-11-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] President Clerides - LSE lecture

[02] Agriculture Minister - Water resources

[03] Ha'aretz - Mossad spies

[04] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1110:CYPPRESS:01

[01] President Clerides - LSE lecture

President Clerides also said that the island's accession to the European Union will pacify any fears of the Turkish Cypriot side.

In a lecture last night at the London School of Economics, the Cypriot President said that one way of pacifying the fears of the two communities in Cyprus about the intentions of each one against the other, "is by joining the EU."

Asked whether Cyprus' application has actually pacified the fears or anxieties of both communities, he said "the answer is that the Turkish Cypriot community, guided by Turkey, opposes the application of Cyprus to join the EU and one must ask what are the real reasons."

He said the Turkish Cypriot side cites as a real reason the 1960 constitution, claiming that it prohibits Cyprus from joining any organisation or any other group of countries to which Greece and Turkey do not belong.

"The real reasons were explained to me at a meeting I had with Mr. Denktash in 1994 in the presence of the then representative of the Secretary-General, Mr (Gustave) Feissel", the President said.

"The first reason was that if Cyprus joins the EU, then Turkey will be inhibited, and I use his own words, for exercising the right of military intervention unilaterally against Cyprus anytime she felt it was necessary to do so," he said.

The second reason Denktash "was that as Greece was a member of the EU and Turkey was not, a flood of Greek mainland immigrants would come and settle in Cyprus and that would upset the ratio between the two communities or upset the demographic composition of the island," Clerides said.

However, he pointed out to Denktash that they could agree that no Greeks would come to live in Cyprus until such time as Turkey was also a member.

He also "pointed out that at that time, there were no Greeks from the mainland coming to Cyprus, that there were at least 40.000 (Turkish) settlers who had been brought and installed in the northern part of Cyprus, in the houses and the properties of the Greek Cypriots who were forced to leave them and come to the south."

The President said the next objection by Denktash was regarding the nature of a solution.

He said that the solution "we are likely to find may not agree to the acquis communautaire and of course with this he had in mind that he was demanding restrictions in the freedom of movement, settlement and possible exchange of properties."

Clerides stressed that such thing "certainly would not be in agreement with the conventions we had signed on human rights and with the acquis communautaire."

The Cypriot President said "the political issue has reached an impasse because of the insistence of the Turkish Cypriot leadership and Turkey for recognition of the so-called state, which is against all UN resolutions and has met with a negative response by the international community.

Clerides leaves for Athens tomorrow where on Friday he will hold talks with Greek Premier, Costas Simitis on all aspects of the Cyprus problem.

CNA KT/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1130:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Agriculture Minister - Water resources

He also said that the possibility of importing water is far fetched because of the high costs involved.

Speaking after a meeting which reviewed the water shortages on the island, Themistocleous said the water reserves in the island's dams are 14 million cubic metres which represents only 5,2 per cent of their total capacity.

In mid August, the water reserves represented 10 per cent (26.900.000 cubic metres.)

He said that if there is no rain by the end of the year, "we will not be able to use any of the reserves from the dams."

The Minister referred to the measures which the government is promoting to handle the island's irrigation needs during the following year, estimated to be around 75 million cubic metres.

He said that by June 1, 1999, two other mobile desalination plants will be in operation, one in the southern coastal town of Limassol and the other in Agios Theodoros in the eastern coast.

Old bore-holes will be utilised and new ones will be excavated while private ones will be requisitioned to help meet at least 74 per cent of next year's needs.

Themistocleous said that by June 2000 the desalination plant at Larnaca Airport will operate, thus covering all irrigation needs from desalination and stopping all water cuts.

However, efforts will continue to increase the price of water for irrigation purposes, he added.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1240:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Ha'aretz - Mossad spies

Israeli daily Ha'aretz says in a report under the title "Cyprus snafu spurs Mossad reshuffling" that the secret agency's chief and deputy, Efraim Halevy and Amiram Levin, are expected to appear before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Subcommittee on Security Services, within a few days.

The two will testify "about the agency's internal investigations and personnel changes in the wake of the arrest of two Mossad men in Cyprus nearly three weeks ago," the newspaper says.

Referring to the recent resignation of a senior Mossad officer it names as "Y", Ha'aretz says he had offered his resignation on several occasions in the past but it was not accepted then.

"Y", according to Ha'aretz, heads a Mossad unit focusing on eavesdropping, wiretapping and break-ins.

He served in his post for three years and "won the Israel Defence Prize for his work in defence-related technology," the newspaper adds.

Pointing out that the "Cyprus affair" is the third 'high-profile Mossad snafu in the last 14 months," Ha'aretz says "internal inquiries and investigations at the highest levels of the Mossad regarding the Cyprus affair reportedly paint a picture of negligence, mistakes and overconfidence."

Meanwhile in a second report, Ha'aretz argues that the two Israeli agents were probably involved "in conducting a form of surveillance on Islamic militant targets," adding that "European intelligence officials endorse the view and there are other hints to support it".

The newspaper also says, that "by seeking to assuage Cyprus that the spying was not done against it or on behalf of its foe (Turkey), Israel hopes that a way will be found to allow the two Israelis to be released before they are put on trial for espionage."

On November 20 Larnaca District Court formally charged Udi Hargov, 37, and Igal Damary, 49, with spying, conspiracy to spy and possession of banned listening equipment. Their trial was set for December 8, while an Israeli Foreign Ministry request for bail for the two men was turned down by the Court.

CNA MCH/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1440:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cyprus Stock Exchange

      CSE General Index                          89.08 ( 0.01)

      Traded Value            CYP 1,338,409

      Sectural Indices

      Banks                   CYP   623,717     102.61 ( 0.15)
      Approved Investment
      Companies               CYP    88,260      59.16 ( 0.17)
      Insurance Companies     CYP   275,984      66.43 (-0.14)
      Manufacturing Companies CYP    35,713      88.41 (-0.15)
      Tourism Companies       CYP    70,411      67.66 (-0.19)
      Trading Companies       CYP    32,048      42.01 (-1.62)
      Other Companies         CYP    35,313      83.61 ( 0.23)

CNA MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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