Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-06-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] CABINET - NATURAL GAS SUPPLY

[02] HOUSE COMMITTEE - 1963-64 MISSING

[03] IRENE CLERIDES DIES - FUNERAL ON FRIDAY

[04] CYPRUS DATAPOST - 2006 GOLD MEDAL

[01] CABINET - NATURAL GAS SUPPLY

Speaking after a five-hour Council of Ministers meeting, Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas said the Cabinet unanimously decided to bring forward the opening of tenders for the land terminal for the supply liquefied natural gas.

He noted that the government`s aim was to involve the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) in the whole process of procuring natural gas.

Replying to questions, Palmas said the decisions were final and that the authority to decide on the matter was the Cabinet.

``The duty of the government is to secure the best possible benefits for every household and every citizen, and the Cypriot economy in general. In order for this to happen, the import of natural gas must take place the soonest possible with the lowest possible price. This is the aim of the government and today`s unanimous decision fully guarantees, in our opinion, achieving this aim,`` he added.

The Cabinet decision was taken after weeks of discussions among interested parties and following a public difference of opinion between EAC and the government, relating mainly to the cost of storing gas offshore for a limited period of time as opposed to storing gas in land terminals.

[02] HOUSE COMMITTEE - 1963-64 MISSING

Speaking after a discussion at the parliamentary Committee on Refugees, Symeonides said that on April 27 the Government Spokesman announced that the Greek Cypriot side had submitted to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) the dossiers of 42 missing persons of the 1963-1964 period, requesting the investigation of the fate of each one. ``We believe that the investigation of the fate of our relatives, although difficult, is not impossible,`` he said, adding that after exhumations in the government-controlled areas of the Republic, which revealed remains believed to belong to Turkish Cypriot missing persons of this period, the relatives are convinced that the fate of the Greek Cypriot missing persons of the same period should be investigated.

Symeonides pointed out there was ``evidence, according to which our people in that period were under arrest and hostages at the Kyrenia Gate police station for three to four months`` and dismissed the claims of the Turkish side that investigations into these cases were impossible. ``It does not elude us that our side, quite rightly, gave information for many Turkish Cypriot missing persons of that period,`` he said, adding that ``it is impossible for us to expect the remains of all Turkish Cypriot missing persons of that period to be found, without finding the remains of our own people.``

President of the House Committee on Refugees and Missing Persons Aristofanis Georgiou said this was the first time the issue of the 42 missing persons was being discussed after their files were submitted to the CMP, and welcomed the decision to complete the dossiers so that investigations could proceed regarding their fate, as well as the fate of the persons missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island. Speaking after the three-hour closed-doors meeting, Georgiou said the Committee`s priority was for Turkey to comply with the European Court of Human Rights decision in Cyprus` Fourth Interstate Appeal against Turkey, and to open the archives of the Turkish army in order to look into the fate of missing persons.

[03] IRENE CLERIDES DIES - FUNERAL ON FRIDAY

Clerides was taken by ambulance in a critical condition from her country house in Meneou village to Larnaca General Hospital, where she died shortly after being admitted. Director of the Casualty and Emergency Department Androula Christodoulidou said Clerides was clinically dead when she arrived and expired a few minutes later.

Glafcos Clerides arrived at Larnaca General Hospital visibly broken-hearted, accompanied by family doctor Josef Kasios. Kasios told reporters that Irene Clerides had been facing health problems over the past month. He added that he was in contact with the family in Meneou on a daily basis.

Kasios said he had visited the family in Meneou on Tuesday evening and had informed them of the inevitable. The funeral will be held on Friday in Nicosia.

[04] CYPRUS DATAPOST - 2006 GOLD MEDAL

According to an official press release, based on the results of the quality measurements carried out by the Universal Postal Union, EMS/Datapost was awarded the gold medal among 196 postal services around the world.

``This award reaffirms that EMS/Datapost offers fast and safe dispatch of urgent parcels abroad and same-day delivery or next work-day delivery at the latest, depending on the time of arrival at the airport,`` the press release says.

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