Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-01-20

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

Monday, 20 January 2003

CONTENTS

• [01] UN direct peace talks to continue on thrice-weekly basis
• [02] President Clerides receives US envoy on Cyprus
• [03] Ten presidential candidatures submitted and approved

[01] UN direct peace talks to continue on thrice-weekly basis

According to a UN press release, the two interlocutors agreed to continue their meetings, under UN auspices, on a thrice-weekly basis.

The UN-led peace talks take place in the framework of intensive efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem by 28 February 2003, on the basis of the Secretary-General's revised plan, submitted on 10 December 2002.

[02] President Clerides receives US envoy on Cyprus

The Government Spokesman, Mr. Michalis Papapetrou, speaking after the meeting, stated the following:

"The President of the Republic had a meeting with Mr. Weston, during which the latest developments on the Cyprus problem were reviewed. The President briefed Mr. Weston on his own assessments as well as on the conclusions he drew from his meeting with Mr. Denktash and Mr. De Soto, the day before yesterday, and Mr. Weston briefed the President on the US assessments and his visits to Ankara and Athens. There was a general review of the problem."

Speaking also after the meeting, Mr. Weston stated the following:

"We had another very productive conversation with the President, but this one comes at a very crucial time in the negotiations. Once again, we found that we have an incredibly cooperative relationship and trying to meet the common goal of a settlement to the division of the island, a settlement which is just and durable and a settlement which we very much want to see reached in a very short period of time."

Asked by journalists to say whether he thought President Clerides was the best-suited Greek Cypriot politician to sign a possible solution of the Cyprus problem, Mr. Weston noted that he and the President had a very close cooperation regarding the Cyprus issue, but refrained from answering the question, as that related to Cyprus' internal political affairs.

The US envoy also met with the Foreign Minister, Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides, and the President of the House of Representatives, Mr. Demetris Christofias.

[03] Ten presidential candidatures submitted and approved

Mr. Triantafyllides announced, in an official statement issued later that day, that no objections were filed within the deadline set out by the law, and therefore, "all ten candidatures are valid and final".

"Voting for the election of the President of the Republic will take place on Sunday, 16 February, 2003. For this purpose, the preparation for the printing of the ballot paper, on special safety paper, has already begun", the statement read.

The order in which the names of the candidates, together with their photographs, will appear on the ballot paper is the following:

1. Nicos Koutsou

2. Tassos Papadopoulos

3. Andreas Efstratiou

4. Christos Iosifides

5. Adamos Katsantonis

6. Glafcos Clerides

7. Costas Kyriakou

8. Alecos Markides

9. Georgios Mavrogenis

10. Pantelis Sofokleous

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

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