Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 05-04-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek premier: Turkey's EU bid depends on Cyprus too

[02] Local Court orders British couple to demolish house in occupied Cyprus

[03] Cyprus President completes state visit to Czech Republic

[04] Russia calls on Talat to help resumption of talks

[05] Communications minister leaves for Luxembourg, Brussels

[06] Turkey's non-compliance with Court decision raised in Strasbourg

[07] Cypriot parties:Current conditions favourable for better understanding

[08] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[09] Commission says list of crossing points extended in Cyprus

[10] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[11] Cyprus President congratulates newly elected Pope

[12] Cypriot political parties agree contacts necessary

[13] Cypriot Government aims at convincing UN SG to launch initiative

[01] Greek premier: Turkey's EU bid depends on Cyprus too

0910:CYPPRESS:01

Greek premier: Turkey's EU bid depends on Cyprus too

Athens, Apr 20 (CNA) -- Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has stressed that Turkey's accession course to the European Union also depends on its stance towards Cyprus, an EU member which Ankara does not recognise.

Karamanlis was one of many speakers at the 9th Economist conference here, which heard views about Greco-Turkish relations, the question of Cyprus and the role of the EU, among other issues on its agenda.

The Greek premier pointed out that Greeks, more than anybody else, wish to see Cyprus reunited on the basis of a UN-proposed solution plan with an agreed settlement that would last and be in line with the acquis communautaire.

Cyprus House President Demetris Christofias, a guest speaker at the conference, fended off criticism from a Turkish journalist, who had claimed that Cyprus managed to ''slip into Europe and is no longer interested in a solution'', stressing that the Greek Cypriot side is more than ready for negotiations that would seek to serve the interests of the Cypriots and not anybody else.

[02] Local Court orders British couple to demolish house in occupied Cyprus

0940:CYPPRESS:02

Local Court orders British couple to demolish house in occupied Cyprus

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) -- Nicosia District Court has upheld a previous decision that ordered a British couple, living in Turkish occupied Cyprus, to demolish the luxurious villa they had built illegally on land, owned by a Greek Cypriot refugee.

''The Court, having heard at two separate hearings the positions of the two sides, decided to reject the claim by the British couple to annul its previous decision,'' Constantinos Kantounas, lawyer of the Greek Cypriot refugee, has told CNA.

In November last year the Court ordered Linda and David Orams to demolish the house and pay compensation to Greek Cypriot Meletis Apostolides. The Court ruling was not enforced because of the Orams' appeal against it.

[03] Cyprus President completes state visit to Czech Republic

1130:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus President completes state visit to Czech Republic

by Athena Arsalidou

Prague, Apr 20 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos left Prague this morning after a four-day state visit during which he held official talks with his Czech counterpart Vaclav Klaus and had meeeting with other Czech officials.

President Papadopoulos was accompanied to his trip by Foreign Minister George Iacovou, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism George Lillikas and other officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Iacovou and Lillikas held separate meetings with their Czech counterparts, Cyril Svoboda and Milan Urban.

[04] Russia calls on Talat to help resumption of talks

1155:CYPPRESS:04

Russia calls on Talat to help resumption of talks

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) -- A Russian foreign ministry spokesman has described ''vote of confidence'' the outcome of Sunday's poll in Turkish occupied Cyprus, adding that the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat should help the resumption of negotiations, leading to a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem on an agreed basis.

Spokesman A. Yakovenko assured that Moscow will continue to contribute towards a settlement in cooperation with the people of Cyprus and other interested parties.

[05] Communications minister leaves for Luxembourg, Brussels

1200:CYPPRESS:05

Communications minister leaves for Luxembourg, Brussels

Larnaca, Apr 20 (CNA) -- Cyprus Communications and Works Minister Haris Thrasou left this morning for Luxembourg to represent Cyprus at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council.

[06] Turkey's non-compliance with Court decision raised in Strasbourg

1320:CYPPRESS:06

Turkey's non-compliance with Court decision raised in Strasbourg

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) -- Representatives of Cyprus and Turkey have once again outlined their positions on the issue of missing persons, among other topics, during a discussion in Strasbourg, with the former reiterating the view that Turkey needs to carry out a thorough and effective investigation and the latter saying serious work is being done in this regard.

Chairman of the Cyprus Committee of Relatives of Missing Persons Nicos Theodosiou has embarked on a series of contacts with European Union ambassadors here to press on with the urgency for a resolution to this humanitarian issue and to seek their help so that Turkey is persuaded to work effectively and productively towards this objective.

In a different development, Mehmet Ali Talat, new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, has sent a third letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan about this issue, while Turkey has submitted a memorandum to the Committee of Ministers ahead of a discussion on the matter.

The discussion took place at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe as part of the ongoing effort to get Turkey to comply with a European Court of Human Rights judgment which found it guilty of violating the rights of relatives of missing persons in Cyprus and ordered Ankara to carry out effective investigation into the fate of these people, missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

[07] Cypriot parties:Current conditions favourable for better understanding

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Cypriot parties:Current conditions favourable for better understanding

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) -- Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties, attending bicommunal meetings at the Ledra Palace hotel, organised by the Slovak Embassy in Nicosia, consider current conditions favourable for better understanding of each other's concerns vis-a-vis the Annan plan, a joint comminique issued after their meeting today said.

The comminique also noted that participants at today's meeting exchanged views on the prospects of recommencing the dialogue under the auspices of the UN.

[08] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1440:CYPPRESS:08

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) -- The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS=1000

TRADED VALUE                       344.049,33

GSE GENERAL INDEX                       85,81     0,30    326.282,35
FTSE/CySE 20                           406,33     0,42    204.319,28
MAIN MARKET INDEX                    1.217,49     0,41    203.335,67
PARALLEL MARKET INDEX                1.018,65     0,01      8.546,48
INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX    1.006,61     1,03     11.178,79
MAIN AND PARALLEL MARKETS INDEX      1.209,94     0,40    211.882,14
BANKS INDEX                          1.242,23     0,41    170.905,50
HOTELS INDEX                           978,34    -1,19      6.785,00
ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX             1.005,18    -0,30    111.213,05
FTSE Med (19/04/2005)                7.346,14     0,49

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices
as compared to the last meeting.

[09] Commission says list of crossing points extended in Cyprus

1530:CYPPRESS:09

Commission says list of crossing points extended in Cyprus

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) - The European Commission has announced today that the list of crossing points where persons and goods may cross the ceasefire line on the island has been extended and it is now up to the two communities to agree on their actual opening.

According to a Commission press release, the two crossing points are Zodia, in the Nicosia District, and Ledra Street in the town of Nicosia.

[10] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1620:CYPPRESS:10

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station               Maximum     Minimum       Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nicosia                 25          10          FINE
Larnaca                 22          11          FINE
Limassol                22          12          FINE
Paphos                  20          12          FINE
---------------------------------------------------------------

[11] Cyprus President congratulates newly elected Pope

1700:CYPPRESS:11

Cyprus President congratulates newly elected Pope

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) --Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos sent today a message of congratulations to newly elected Pope Benedict XVI.

''On the most auspicious occasion of Your worthy elevation to the Apostolic Throne of Rome, I have the honour to convey to Your Holiness on behalf of the people and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and myself personally our most heartfelt congratulations and warmest wishes for every success in Your high mission for the benefit of humankind,'' the President notes in his message.

CNA/GS/KN/2005 ENDS,CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY   

[12] Cypriot political parties agree contacts necessary

1710:CYPPRESS:13

Cypriot political parties agree contacts necessary

Nicosia, Apr 20 (CNA) - Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties met at Ledra Palace in Nicosia today and exchanged views on the current situation in the Cyprus problem, noting that contacts even on a bilateral level were necessary between the two sides so that they could understand each other's concerns.

Speaking after the meeting, political party representatives said all parties agreed that it was necessary to reach a settlement and reunite the island, and that contacts could help towards creating the conditions for the launching of a new effort to solve the Cyprus problem.

[13] Cypriot Government aims at convincing UN SG to launch initiative

2030:CYPPRESS:14

Cypriot Government aims at convincing UN SG to launch initiative

Larnaca, Apr 20 (CNA)--Cypriot government's aim is to convince the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to undertake a new initiative, so that a fresh dialogue for a Cyprus settlement could begin, Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos has said, adding that the Greek Cypriot side does not wish ''talks for the sake of talks''.

Speaking upon return from the Czech Republic, where he held an official visit, Papadopoulos warned that ''a new effort on Cyprus that would not lead to a positive result contains a lot of dangers which must be avoided,'' adding that any effort must be prepared "very carefully''.

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