Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 01-10-24

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

Wednesday, 24 October 2001

CONTENTS

• [01] European Union Presidency issues a declaration on Cyprus
• [02] President Clerides: Efforts must be intensified to consolidate macroeconomic stability
• [03] Finance Minister in Libya for talks

[01] European Union Presidency issues a declaration on Cyprus

The EU declaration reads as follows:

"The European Union supports the communique issued by the President of the United Nations Security Council on 26 September 2001, and shares in particular in its disappointment at the Turkish party's refusal to take part in the meeting on 12 September. It continues to support unreservedly the efforts of the UN Secretary General to resume (without preconditions, in line with Security Council Resolution 1250) the search for a global, sustainable settlement that complies with the pertinent Security Council resolutions. It calls upon all the parties involved to cooperate in the process to ensure a political settlement before the completion of Cyprus' negotiations to join the European Union."

[02] President Clerides: Efforts must be intensified to consolidate macroeconomic stability

Addressing this year's conference of the Employers and Industrialists Federation held in Nicosia yesterday, President Clerides said that the Cyprus economy has also been affected, as all economies have, by the crisis caused by the barbaric terrorist attack against the United States" and underlined that to reverse the negative climate all social partners, especially the employers' organizations and the trade unions have to make a constructive contribution towards the government's efforts.

"The Government in the context of the new international environment is entitled to ask the social partners to exhibit self-restraint in their demands so that our economy suffers the least possible economic cost" he added.

The President said that positive economic indicators, including the satisfactory rate of growth, the decline in unemployment, inflation rate and the fiscal deficit, have to be consolidated over the next years.

He pointed out that tax reform should be the focus of efforts to further boost local economy stressing that this reform must be promoted without delay in order to achieve the modernisation, simplification and a more just redistribution of the financial burden. Moreover, this reform is deemed necessary not only because of the need to harmonise legislation with the EU but also to boost economic activity, he said.

President Clerides also spoke about the vision of seeing Cyprus a fully- fledged member of the European Union and praised the results achieved so far with respect to Cyprus' accession negotiations. Furthermore, he paid tribute to Cyprus' Chief EU negotiator Mr George Vassiliou, for his arduous work in the harmonization effort.

On the issue of terrorism, the President expressed the government's firm commitment to the primary aim of the international community to eradicate international terrorism. Cyprus is already contributing with its limited powers to the global campaign, he said.

Although it is natural for the attention of the international community, particularly that of the strongest states, to be focused on the struggle against terrorism, nevertheless international and regional problems continue to exist and perhaps now the need to solve regional problems is even more pressing than in the past, he added.

Referring to the Cyprus problem, President Clerides said he had received assurances from governments, which are actively engaged in the UN effort, that they would continue to be interested in attempts to find a Cyprus settlement.

The President renewed his appeal to the international community to "exercise to a greater extent its influence on the Turkish side so that it returns to the negotiating table".

The Greek Cypriot side will continue its struggle for a solution which will be in line with the UN resolutions, the acquis communautaire, the human rights conventions and the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, he said.

"I honestly believe that such a solution will equally benefit Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and that it will contribute to peace, security, political stability and cooperation between the states of our broader region", he concluded.

[03] Finance Minister in Libya for talks

During the meetings, Mr Klerides and the Libyan officials discussed issues of international cooperation in combating world terrorism as well as ways of enhancing Mediterranean cooperation in the political and economic fields.

Libya reaffirmed its firm support for the just struggle of the people of Cyprus to find a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

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

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