Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-11-19

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

News Update

Wednesday, 19/11/97

CONTENTS

• [01] Don't expect developments now, says Cordovez
• [02] Cyprus denounces Turkey at UN for human rights violations
• [03] International Greek literary conference held in Cyprus

[01] Don't expect developments now, says Cordovez

According to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Cordovez will be conveying a message from UN chief Kofi Annan to the two leaders. In statements on his arrival, Mr Cordovez said that no developments should be expected from this visit and referred to a previous statement by Mr Annan that prospects for a solution to the Cyprus issue would arise after the February presidential elections.

Mr Cordovez added that his visit will be of an investigatory character in order to determine whether some preparatory work needs to be done for the period after the elections.

[02] Cyprus denounces Turkey at UN for human rights violations

Ambassador Zakheos was addressing the Third Committee of the UN which has started examining the issue of human rights violations on a global scale.

The Cypriot Representative raised the issue of the enclaved and the missing persons and slammed Turkey and the occupation regime for the continuing violations of human rights they engage in the island's occupied areas.

Ambassador Zakheos said deprivation of fundamental human rights of free movement, health, education and religion have led thousands of Greek Cypriots to flee their homes, decreasing the number of the enclaved from 20.000 in 1974 down to a few hundreds today.

Referring to the issue of missing persons in Cyprus, Zakheos called all those interested to take the necessary steps towards a resolution of this problem and urged the UN Secretary-General to appoint the third member of the UN Investigatory Committee on the Missing Persons.

Moreover, the permanent representative of Luxembourg to the UN, Ms Sylvie Lucas, speaking on behalf of the European Union before the same UN committee expressed the EU's concern over human rights violations in Turkey, adding that the EU reaffirms that the status quo in Cyprus is unacceptable.

[03] International Greek literary conference held in Cyprus

Fifty participants from twenty four universities from eleven different countries will be presenting abstracts on Greek Literature from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, which forms the basis of modern Greek literature.

Minister of Education and Culture, George Hadjinicolaou, said in his opening address that this conference is of utmost national importance to Cyprus hellenism, considering the threats from the east and in view of the fact that it is conducted solely in the Greek language.

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

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