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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-04-04

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

  • [01]Friday, 04 April 2003 EU and US support Cyprus settlement under UN auspices
  • [02] UN comments on Denktash proposals
  • [03] Britain protests to occupation regime for T/C arrests
  • [04] Cyprus' UN Representative condemns Turkey for human rights violations
  • [05] Cyprus has lowest unemployment rate among EU acceding countries

    [01] EU and US support Cyprus settlement under UN auspices

    Mr Jean-Christophe Filori, the spokesman for the EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, reiterated yesterday the European Commission's position that a solution of the Cyprus problem must be found within the UN framework. Mr Filori was commenting, in reply to a question by a Turkish journalist, on Mr Rauf Denktash's proposals, which the Turkish Cypriot leader had described as a package of confidence-building measures to open up a dialogue and establish a "working relationship" between the two communities on the island. "The Commission takes into consideration Denktash's initiative. We generally support all efforts for a solution in Cyprus, but we continue to believe that this objective must be achieved through the UN framework", the EU spokesman said. He further noted that the Commission was waiting for the outcome of the discussion on Cyprus at the UN Security Council, scheduled to take place on 9 April. Along the same lines has been the US's reaction to the Denktash proposals. Specifically, a State Department official, commenting yesterday on the Turkish Cypriot leader's move, stressed that the way to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue was through the UN framework and under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices mission. The State Department official's full statement was the following: "We believe that the way to a comprehensive settlement is for both sides to resume talks under the auspices of the UN good offices and on the basis of the Secretary- General's very fair peace plan. These confidence building measures between the two sides are really a matter for them to discuss. We believe that the best context for them to do so remains the UN good offices. Genuine confidence building measures arrived at through the UN good offices mission would certainly be welcome. Our focus, however, remains on achieving a comprehensive, just and durable settlement to the Cyprus problem. Even genuine confidence building measures are not substitute for this. We look to the upcoming UN Security Council session on Cyprus to reaffirm international support for the Secretary-General's good offices and to support the Secretary-General Annan's plan as a basis for a future settlement."

    [02] UN comments on Denktash proposals

    The Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Mr Fred Eckhard, made the following statement during yesterday's press briefing at UN Headquarters, when asked to comment on Mr Denktash's letter of proposals to President Papadopoulos: "The Secretary-General received copies of both letters exchanged between Mr Denktash and Mr Papadopoulos. His assessment of 11 March outlines the positions taken by the two leaders at The Hague. His report to the Security Council on the negotiation process which came to an end that day, will be issued shortly, we think that will be on Monday. And that's all I have to say about those letters."

    [03] Britain protests to occupation regime for T/C arrests

    The British Minister for Europe, Mr Denis MacShane, expressed the British government's opposition to the recent arrests of Turkish Cypriot politicians and trade union leaders by the illegal regime in occupied Cyprus. The Minister, in his written reply to a question posed by Labour MP Mr Andrew Dismore before the House of Commons, on 1 April, stated the following: "We have followed the events of 25 March with great concern. We deplore any interference by the Turkish Cypriot authorities which curtails the Turkish Cypriots' rights of assembly and of free, peaceful expression of their political views. We have protested to the Turkish Cypriot authorities and continue to monitor the situation closely." The arrests of the Turkish Cypriots were made to prevent the holding of a referendum on the UN peace plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

    [04] Cyprus' UN Representative condemns Turkey for human rights violations

    Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Alexandros Vikis, spoke before the 59th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva last Tuesday, stressing that Turkey continued to violate the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Cypriot citizens, while refusing to comply with important decisions by various international organisations. Mr Vikis outlined some of Turkey's major human rights violations in Cyprus, which were, inter alia, the massive influx of Turkish settlers in the occupied areas with a view to changing the demographic structure of the island, the issue of refugees who are being refused to return to their homelands, the inhumane living conditions of the enclaved, the issue of missing persons, and the systematic and large-scale destruction of Cyprus' cultural heritage in the occupied areas by the illegal regime. He further made reference to the UN Secretary-General's report on the question of human rights in Cyprus, for 2003, stating that it did not portray a comprehensive and real image of the large-scale human rights violations of Cypriots by Turkey. It should be mentioned that the question of human rights in Cyprus is enlisted as a separate sub-item (a) in the agenda item 9 of the Commission on Human Rights, entitled "Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world".

    [05] Cyprus has lowest unemployment rate among EU acceding countries

    According to the European Union's Statistical Office (Eurostat), Cyprus has the lowest rate of unemployment among the ten acceding countries, for February 2003. Furthermore, Cyprus' unemployment rate is lower than the average rate of the 15 EU member states and of the Euro-zone countries. In particular, Cyprus' unemployment rate for February 2003 was recorded at 3,9% of the labour force, while the average rate for the ten acceding countries was 14,8%. Eurostat noted a 7,9% unemployment rate for the 15 EU member states and a 8,7% for the member states forming the Euro-zone. The unemployment rates according to gender, for Cyprus, were calculated at 2,9% for males and 5% for females. Both figures reflected the lowest unemployment rates among the equivalent rates of the ten acceding states. Additionally, according to Eurostat data on the GDP of the Mediterranean partner countries, released on 1 April 2003, Cyprus had, in 2000, the highest GDP per inhabitant, with more than 20,000 purchasing power parity units (PPS).

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


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