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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-07-25Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] LEADERS INTENSIFIED TALKS BUTTENHEIMCyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu met on Monday, for the first time in the context of the intensified phase of UN-led direct talks to solve the Cyprus problem.After the meeting that lasted four and a half hours UN Secretary General`s Special Representative in Cyprus Liza Buttenheim, said that todays meeting was on of the four devoted on governance and power sharing. The meeting took place in a positive atmosphere. They discussed core issues under this chapter which will continue at the next leaders meeting on Friday July 29, she said. Buttenheim pointed out that the leaders agreed that during this intensified phase, ensuring confidentiality about their discussion will be a precondition for progress Answering to a question Buttenheim said that UN Secretary General`s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alexander Downer will be returning to the island next week and will be present at next Mondays meeting. She also said that the advisors of the two leaders will have a meeting on Thursday morning to discuss one issue that was raised this morning. Cyprus was divided when Turkey invaded in 1974. UN led negotiations have been ongoing since 2008 between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, in an effort to reunite the island under a federal roof. President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu met with UN SG Ban Ki-moon in Geneva, on July 7th, and according to Ban`s statement after the meeting, they agreed to enter into an intensive period of negotiations on the core issues of the Cyprus problem, with an aim of achieving convergences before meeting again in New York, next October. [02] KYRENIA REFUGEES PETITIONSRepresentatives of the Turkish occupied municipalities of Kyrenia, Lapithos and Karavas, as well as refugee associations from the Kyrenia district, delivered Monday petitions to the Embassies of Russia, China and Greece, requesting support in the struggle to liberate Cyprus.The petition asks for the effective contribution of the permanent member of the UN Security Council in the liberation of Cyprus. We feel that your Government should press Turkey to terminate the occupation, abandon the ongoing efforts to divide Cyprus and work towards a viable solution, it states. It condemns once again, the invasion, which led to the occupation of 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey, thousands of deaths and missing people and the removal from our homes. It further states that we continue to struggle against the occupation while trying to strengthen, by all means, the efforts of our political representatives for freedom of our homeland. We are determined to make our utmost for a solution to this unacceptable situation. [03] INQUIRY COMMITTEE DEADLY BLASTThe one-man investigation commission, which will look into the circumstances that led to the deadly explosion at the Naval Base ``Evaggelos Florakis``, on July 11th, 2011, began Monday its first public hearing.Lawyer Polis Polyviou, who was appointed by President of the Republic Demetris Christofias as a single-member inquiry committee, to investigate events which led to the deadly explosion, told reporters that the investigation commission is not a court of justice, clarifying that he will attribute political and institutional responsibilities which led to the tragedy. Polyviou, who is charged with the task to investigate the causes of the incident, pointing to those who should be held accountable for the explosion, reassured the relatives of the victims and the people of Cyprus that he will work with full transparency and speed, in order to conclude his findings by September 30th and submit them to the President of the Republic. His task, he furthermore said, is to examine all papers related to the incident and listen to all those who were involved in the case. ``The system collapsed and we want to know who are responsible for that, not only the day of the explosion but from the beginning, two and a half years ago, until the end``, he stressed. Furthermore, Polyviou underlined that nobody is excluded from the investigation, not even the President of the Republic. [04] YOUTH RECONCILIATION RELIGIONCyprus Archbishop Chrysostomos, together with the Turkish Cypriot Mufti inaugurated Monday a Youth Dialogue Forum, with the participation of children from the two communities of Cyprus, Israel and Palestine, in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy in Nicosia.The aim of this forum, which will last until Sunday, is to bring together young children with different ethnic and religious backgrounds, in order to understand each others different perspectives through dialogue and talk on the positive role of religion in overcoming conflict and building peace. The group of young children was received at the Archbishops palace, in Nicosia. Speaking to journalists, Archbishop Chrysostomos said that the message of this gathering is that religion is not dividing people, but unites them. Her added that a problem ensued today with the participation of the children from the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, since half of them were not Turkish Cypriots, but children of Turkish settlers, who did not manage to cross to the free areas of Cyprus. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |