Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-06-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT CROSSING POINTS

[02] SPOKESMAN GENEVA MEETING

[03] UN SECURITY COUNCIL UNFICYP MANDATE

[04] CYPRUS ΝΑΤΙΟNAL TEAM COMPAK CHAMPIONSHIP

[01] PRESIDENT CROSSING POINTS

According to an official press release issued here on Saturday, President Christofias met with members of the Committees for the opening of the Lefka and the Kokkina crossings points on the sidelines of his visit to Kato Pyrgos Tillyrias village in the district of Nicosia.

President Christofias said he wishes and works for the reestablishment of conditions of friendship and brotherhood between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

He added that he works very hard for the opening of crossings points to and from Cyprus Republic free areas and Turkish occupied areas and that he faced many difficulties and obstacles before the opening of the Limnitis crossing, which opened in October 2010.

``Our main aim``, he told members of the Committees, ``is to open all crossings and overcome all obstacles``.

President Christofias also spoke of the cooperation he had with former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat saying that they worked on the basis of an agreement of reciprocity.

He recalled that the Ledra street crossing had opened and subsequent efforts to open the Limnitis crossing took one and a half years.

The principle of reciprocity must be in place because without it no more crossings can be opened, he said, adding that it is important for the Turkish Cypriot leader to understand that in order for the Lefka crossing to open, another crossing must open as well.

He added that he will work hard and intensively in order to persuade Eroglu that the principle of reciprocity must be taken into consideration, adding that Talat and he had worked hard for the opening of the Kokkina crossing but outside interventions had prevented the opening of the crossing.

He further expressed the view that the opening of the crossing would be a blessing for the people stating that this is his wish also.

I also wish for the country to be reunited, he said, adding however that the obstacle, which keeps this from happening, is well known, defining it further as a foreign factor.

Cyprus was divided after the Turkish invasion of 1974.

Several crossing points operate along the demarcation line, which divides Cyprus into the northern Turkish occupied areas and the southern government controlled part of the country, to facilitate movement of people.

UN led talks are underway between President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in an effort to reunite the island under a federal roof.

[02] SPOKESMAN GENEVA MEETING

Stephanou, who was replying to journalists questions about the meeting, stressed that the Presidents approach in the meeting will be constructive as always.

President of the Republic will be as always well prepared for the meeting with an aim to pave the way for the solution of the Cyprus problem, he said.

This, he added, signifies that we remain committed to the principles of the solution of the Cyprus problem and we demonstrate the necessary pragmatism which is required during these efforts, whilst at the same time, staying within the framework of the procedure agreed upon before the beginning of negotiations and always working on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

[03] UN SECURITY COUNCIL UNFICYP MANDATE

The meeting will follow a briefing by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Lisa Buttenheim on current developments. Last Friday, Cyprus Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Minas Chatziminas met with the President of the SC to whom he conveyed the Republics consensus on UNFICYPs presence on the island.

According to the final draft, the SC will call upon the two leaders to intensify the momentum of negotiations, engage in the process in a constructive and open manner, and work on reaching convergences on the remaining core issues in preparation for their meeting with the Secretary-General in July.

The SC will also call upon the two leaders to improve the public atmosphere in which the negotiations are proceeding, including focusing public messages on convergences and the way ahead, and delivering more constructive and harmonised messages; and also to increase the participation of civil society in the process as appropriate. The SC is expected to welcome the progress made so far in the fully fledged negotiations, and the leaders joint statements including those of 23 May and 1 July 2008.

[04] CYPRUS ΝΑΤΙΟNAL TEAM COMPAK CHAMPIONSHIP

According to a press release issued by the Cyprus Shooting Federation (CSF) here Sunday, the team, which will be escorted by CSF treasurer and member of the FITASC Compak Technical Committee Loucas Psimolophitis comprises three international Cypriot athletes and six other Cypriot athletes.

International Cypriot Referees Costakis Xenophontos and Christos Kazazis will also travel to Tallinn to referee games in the championship, in which over 430 athletes are expected to compete.

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