Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-08-19

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

News Update

Tuesday, 19/08/97

CONTENTS

• [01] Kofi Annan's Representative meets British Foreign Affairs Minister
• [02] EU urges both sides in Cyprus to seek a solution
• [03] More vandalised churches in Turkish occupied Cyprus

[01] Kofi Annan's Representative meets British Foreign Affairs Minister

In statements to the press after the meeting Mr. Henderson said: "We are all determined that the parties should continue to be brought together and that solutions should be sought for what is a difficult situation. I have asked Mr. Cordovez what the British Government can do to try to help to bring parties together and to seek a solution and I've indicated that I believe that all of the parties have a special responsibility to try to make progress, that is the European Union has, Greece and Turkey clearly have, and the people of Cyprus have and the British Government and I think the American Government as well have an obligation."

He added that he hopes to visit Turkey "where I will be impressing on the Turkish government that they have special obligations to try to bring any input they can to the situation to encourage a solution".

From the European Union's perspective, Doug Henderson mentioned the enlargement process, explaining: "We are not going to have problems to continue to fester which might become major obstacles in that and I think that is a major obligation that the European Union has. The British Government accept that that is a major responsibility it has to contribute positively to that process and I think that it is a win-win situation for Turkey, for Greece and for the people of Cyprus, they can all benefit from negotiations which can take place which can re-establish new and more permanent relationships which can lead to peace and prosperity and that is where the mediation process which Mr. Cordovez has been conducting is absolutely crucial and will continue to be crucial".

Britain will be holding the EU presidency from January 1998, during the six- month period when accession talks with Cyprus are scheduled to begin.

In his statement the United Nations envoy said that although the lack of substantive discussion at Glion "was highly regrettable... because one of the parties was not willing to consider any of the documents we submitted", this "in fact did not have any effect on the actual negotiations within the UN process," and he added: "The controversy was outside the context of the negotiations, it was something that unfortunately had the effect that you know it had on the negotiations, but it is not something that will hurt, I think, the actual UN negotiating process and this is what I have explained."

[02] EU urges both sides in Cyprus to seek a solution

Round two of the UN sponsored direct talks between President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash ended in failure on Friday (15.8.97).

Denktash said he would talk no more unless the EU reversed its recent decision to begin accession talks with the Cyprus government, while Clerides said Denktash was not interested in achieving a settlement.

President Clerides vowed to pull out of any settlement negotiations if EU plans were delayed.

Commenting on Denktash's threats Vale de Almeida reiterated that there had to be politically negotiated solution on the island. "We have a strong position on this and we have not changed our view", he said. He said the Commission would regret any obstacles in the hunt for a political solution in Cyprus.

[03] More vandalised churches in Turkish-occupied Cyprus

The Cyprus Government Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Nicos Agathocleous in a letter of protest to the UN Secretary- General says that the historic fourteenth century church of the Virgin Mary, of Byzantine and Renaissance structure, located near the villages of Prastio and Acheritou-Ayios Georgios, has been vandalised and is being used as a sheep pen. Moreover, according to information received by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the church of Apostle Andreas located in the district of Kyrenia has been converted to a mosque and the Church of the Virgin Mary located in Pano Zhodia has been completely destroyed. The Byzantine Church of Saint Sergios and the sixteenth century Church of Saint Paraskevi, located in the village of Ayios Serghios, near the ancient area of Salamis, and the surrounding cemetery, have been desecrated and vandalised.

Over 100 churches and monasteries in the occupied areas have been plundered and looted of their sacred objects, icons, wall paintings, frescoes and mosaics or converted into mosques, recreation areas, animal pens or stables.

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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