Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 02-05-07

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

Tuesday, 7 May 2002

CONTENTS

• [01] UN Security Council welcomes and supports Secretary General's intention to visit Cyprus
• [02] Anan's visit reflects the importance the UN places on resolving the Cyprus issue
• [03] The US Secretary of State refers to Cyprus
• [04] New appointments

[01] UN Security Council welcomes and supports Secretary General's intention to visit Cyprus

"He informed them of the Secretary-General's intention to travel to Cyprus and meet with the two leaders in furtherance of his mission of good offices. The Secretary-General hopes to see decisive progress in the talks between the two leaders in the coming period. He plans to call on them separately and to meet them jointly. The dates of his visit will be announced shortly."

Moreover the Security Council welcomed and supported the Secretary- General's intention to visit the island, in the hope that it would enable decisive progress to be made in the face-to-face negotiations.

The President of the Security Council Mr Kishore Mahbubani made a press statement, which reads as follows:

"The members of the Council heard on 2 May a further interim report from Mr. Alvaro de Soto, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus, concerning the direct talks in Cyprus between the two leaders which have been in progress since January, pursuant to their agreement of 4 December 2001.

The members of the Council regretted that it had not proved possible to make more progress in the period of negotiations since the Council was last briefed on 4 April. They expressed the view that the time had now come to set down on paper areas of common ground between the two sides, with the aim of establishing the component parts of a comprehensive settlement which takes full consideration of relevant United Nations resolutions and treaties; and, where differences remain, to narrow and remove those through a process of negotiation focused on compromise formulations. They urged both sides, and in particular the Turkish side, to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General's Special Adviser in such an effort.

Members of the Council welcomed and supported the Secretary-General's intention to visit the island in the near future in pursuance of the mission entrusted to him by the Council in resolution 1250. They hoped that this would enable decisive progress to be made in the face-to-face negotiations in the period before the June target date for agreement, which the Council once again endorsed."

[02] Anan's visit reflects the importance the UN places on resolving the Cyprus issue

"We would like to reiterate that the United States welcomes and strongly supports the Secretary General's intention to visit Cyprus. It is a clear reflection of the importance the UN and the international community place on resolving the Cyprus issue and the need for more urgency in the negotiations to reach an agreement by the June target date.

We stand ready to continue assisting the UN Secretary General and his Special Adviser in the vital effort to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue."

[03] The US Secretary of State refers to Cyprus

"So much of the misery, danger and instability around the world today is caused or exacerbated by intolerance, whether it's in the Middle East, south-eastern Europe or Central Africa, whether it's in Cyprus or Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland or Indonesia. And whenever ethnic and religious hatred help to fuel a conflict, it becomes all the more virulent and intractable with respect to finding a solution.

In Cyprus, we are supporting the United Nations' efforts and have promoted people to people exchanges to bring together youth from both sides of that divided island."

[04] New appointments

In his statement the President said that the new Governor would assume office from the time of his appointment for five-year period. The name of the new Minister of Interior would be announced the following Thursday, he said.

Moreover, Finance Minister Takis Klerides announced after the meeting, the appointment of Mr Pavlos Savvides as the new Chairman of the Cyprus Stock Exchange.

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

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