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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-05-08Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>News UpdateThursday, 08/05/97CONTENTS[01] Albright to meet Kassoulides on 6 June '97US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will have a meeting with Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulides on 6 June 1997 in Washington DC. "The timing of the meeting is very important as it will coincide with the end of the proximity talks, by which time it will have been decided what the next steps will be", Dr Kassoulides said.The Cyprus Foreign Minister announced this upon his return from Strasbourg, via Athens, last night. In Athens Dr Kassoulides had a meeting with Mr Carey Cavanaugh, Director of Southern European Affairs at the US State Department. During the meeting, Mr Cavanaugh expressed the US Government's satisfaction with the Cyprus Government's decision not to use Cyprus' airspace in the forthcoming TOXOTIS military exercise. Dr Kassoulides added that Mr Cavanaugh also welcomed the various steps taken in order to create a suitable climate for the talks. The American official said that the US considers this period as very important as Cyprus is given a real opportunity to proceed with resolving its problem to the benefit of stability and security in the region of the eastern Mediterranean. For this reason, the US will be actively involved aiming at the success of these efforts. In his statements to the press Dr Kassoulides also referred to his contacts in Strasbourg and Paris. In Strasbourg Dr Kassoulides addressed the 100th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. [02] US interest reaffirmedRecent contacts of Cyprus government officials with officials of the US government underline US interest in the search for a solution to the Cyprus problem. Moreover US support to the UN efforts towards this end is confirmed as well as their positive contribution to all the efforts and procedures.This was stated in Nicosia today by Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides following the Foreign Minister's meeting with Carey Cavanaugh, US State Department Director for Southern Europe and acting special Cyprus co- ordinator. The Government Spokesman also expresses satisfaction for the meeting to be held between US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Cyprus Foreign Minister Dr Kassoulides on 6 June '97. [03] Special representatives for Cyprus expected on the islandGovernment Spokesman Manolis Christofides announced today that Canada's Special Representative for the Cyprus problem Mr Michael Bell is expected to visit Cyprus.Similarly UK Special Representative Sir David Hannay and E.U. Presidency Special Representative for the Cyprus question Mr Kester Heaslip are expected to visit Cyprus soon. [04] Russian Foreign Ministry statement welcomed by CyprusGovernment Spokesman Manolis Christofides today in Nicosia welcomed a Russian Foreign Ministry press release regarding the visit to the occupied area of a group of members of the Russian Parliament.In particular, the government expresses its satisfaction with the fact that the Russian Federation reiterates that it does not recognise the illegal entity in the occupied area. The Russian Foreign Ministry press release calls on all the citizens of the Russian Federation and their representatives to abide by the international obligations of the Russian Federation and to respect UN resolutions. [05] Greek Cypriot asks Turkey to pay damages in landmark caseTitina Loizidou, a Greek Cypriot from Kyrenia is asking Turkey to pay up about one million US dollars in damages after she won a seven-year legal battle in the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey was found responsible for continuing violation of Ms Loizidou's right to enjoy her property which is in the occupied areas. Ms Loizidou's lawyer, Achilleas Demetriades, explained that the damages asked do not in any way relinquish his client's ownership of her property, adding that compensation is sought on the basis of Article 50 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which refers to "just satisfaction to the injured party".Mr Demetriades pointed out that "the Court's decision in this case is very important in that it establishes the ownership of property, under Turkish occupation in more than twenty years and notes that the self-proclaimed Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus is a nonentity as far as international law and order are concerned". He added that the decision of the Court, which slammed many Turkish objections, offers the chance to other groups of people to file recourses to the Court on much the same grounds. Attorney General Alecos Markides described the Court decision as "a landmark ruling in the development of Human Rights Law because it is a victory for the Court itself". The Court's ruling on Loizidou's case, marks the first time Turkey has been found guilty of continuous human rights violation in Cyprus' occupied areas. From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |