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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-04-20
From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>
CONTENTS
[01] HEADLINES
[02] CLER BACK
[03] SIMITIS/ANNAN
[04] Greek prop
[05] antinato
[06] HOUSE COMM
[07] Turk elect
[08] yelts yug
[09] Yugo war
[10] US FUNDS
[11] INDIA
[01] HEADLINES
-- Nato AIR ACTIVITY WENT ON UNDIMINI9SHED THROUGH THE NIGHT IN YUGOSLAVIA, BUT YUGOSLAV SOURCES CLAIMED SHOOTING DOWN THREE US PLANES
--BORIS YELTSIN WARNED RUSSIA WILL NOT ALLOW ANY VICTORY IOVER MILOSEVIC AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER YUGOSLAVOA
--AS HUNDREDS OF REFUGEES CONTINUE TO CROSS THE YUGOSLAVIAN-ALBANIAN BORDERS THE SITUATION BECOMES DESPARATE
--GREEK PREMIER SIMITIS IS MEETING KOFU ANNAN IN NEW YORK TO DISCUSS THE GREEK PLAN FOR A PEACEFUL P[OLITICAL SOLUTION IN THE BALKANS
--AND IN TURKEY,THE EXTREME RIGHT WINNG APPEARS TO HAVE GAINNNED STRENGTH WITH THE MAJORITY OF VOTES RECEIVED, WITH THE ISLAMISTS THIRD IN POSITION..
[02] CLER BACK
The new British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Edward Clay will take over his duties on May 11, succeeding David Madden who has been appointed British
Ambassador to Athens.
British Attache to Nicosia John Buck today conferred with President Clerides on occasion of Thursday's visit to Cyprus by British foreign under-secretary Joyce Queen, on her first visit to Cyprus as foreign under-secretary, and will be accompanied
by British representative on Cyprus Sir David Hannay.
According to the British High Commission, the Queen visit has a briefing character and she will be meeting President Clerides and Rauf Denktash and will also confer with Foreign Minister Ioannis Casoulides.
[03] SIMITIS/ANNAN
Greek Premier Costas Simitis, who is in New York for NATO's 50th anniversary, today conferred with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York, primarily to discuss the Kosovo Crisis.
In statements after their meeting, Simitis referred to the triptych on Kosovo.
This covers a political solution, a development plan when peace is enforced, and coping with the human tragedy.
The Cyprus issue was also due to be discussed at their meeting. Simitis was expected to remind the Secretary General, that after the decision not to deploy the S-300 missiles in Cyprus, he must make a move under his initiative to ease tension based on the UN resolutions on Cyprus.
[04] Greek prop
The Greek initiative for an integral political proposal for peace, stability and development in the Balkans is under development.
The proposal was discussed in Athens at a meeting of representatives of the Foreign Ministries of Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania in the presence of representatives from Albania and Skopia. Also present was a representative of the German Presidency of the EU.//
Foreign Minister George Papandreou said Greece is promoting three main points.
-- Guarantees of the borders and security in the region.
-- Democratisation and accession process of the countries in the region with the EU.
-- and development of the Balkan states.
[05] antinato
Protest voices against the NATO air attacks against Yugoslavia are increasing within Europe itself.
In Germany, protesters gathered outside a British Air Base and deputy minister on the environment Gila Altmann of the Green party appealed for a cease fire in Yugoslavia, thus marking the open rift within the German coalition government.
Oltmann signed the petition for a cease fire which has been signed by some 1,000 members of the Greens party.//
Meanwhile, hundreds of Italians gathered outside the Aviano base from which the NATO planes take off. The demonstrators were protesting against the use of Italian territory for the attacks against Yugoslavia.
[06] HOUSE COMM
The House Finance Committee today discussed the question the Philoxenia Hotel with charges from MP's against Government lack of interest and mal administration.
AKEL MP Kikis Kazamias said that members of the board of directors gave receptions without payment and that wedding receptions were organised free of charge for their relatives.
Kazamias charged that the government had deliberately led the hotel to bankruptcy so that it may be sold by it to private interests.
Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Nicos Rolandis rejected the charges adding that two more million pounds will be needed to upgrade the hotel.
Referring to charges against members of the board of directors, the minister admitted that they did exist adding that the Attorney General is investigating.
[07] Turk elect
Bulent Ecevit and the extreme right have won the Turkish election with the Islamists as the third party.
Ecevit will also have the first word in formation of the new government.
Ecevit's party emerged as the strongest force with 22% winning 134 deputies. The victory of the Extreme Right wing Party of National Action of Devlet Bahjeli was the great surprise, with its win of 18% of the vote, the largest increase of strength by comparison to other partires.
Three other parties managed to get presentation in the National assembly"
-- The Islamist Party of Virtue with nearly 16%,
-- The Motherland party of Messut Yilmaz with 13.5%,
--and the True Path Party of Tansu Ciller with 12 %.
The Republican peoples Party of Deniz Baykal has remained out of the National Assembly with only 9%.
[08] yelts yug
Russian president Boris Yeltsin sent out a strict warning to the US that; Russia will not allow a victory over Milosevic or sovereignty over Yugoslavia, the territory of which is of strategic importance.
Yeltsin made his statement in view of a telephone conversation he is scheduled to have later in the day with President Bill Clinton.
This will be the first direct discussion between the two presidents since the air attacks which started on March 24, and takes place at Clinton's request.
Yeltsin has also had a meeting on the crisis with Yevgenie Prymakov , Foreign Minister Igor Ivanof and special representative on Yugoslavia Viktos Chernomyrdin.
The Russian president said his country will exercise self control and is prepared to mediate between Yugoslavia and the West, to end the crisis. He did warn, however, that his conversation with Clinton will not be easy.
However, in a sudden move, Russia has called off the deployment of Russian warships in the Adriatic.
[09] Yugo war
NATO air activity over Yugoslavia last night was intense.
Targets, primarily in pristina and Novi Sat were pounded mercilessly, but the alliance also lost three aircraft during the operations.
Attacks started at first dark over Yugoslavia and continued through the morning.
The building of the local administration of the Autonomous District of Voivodina at Novi Sat was among the targets hit early today.
The suburbs of Belgrade as well as communities in the capital's approaches were also hit together with the towns of Subodica, Krakliev, and Paracin in Serbia.
Missile attacks resumed with first light and Pristina was hit at about noon when a missile hit a telecommunications relay station.
The Yugoslav side announced that three NATO aircraft were shot down while numerous missiles were destroyed in the air.
Meanwhile the commander of an army headquarters in pristina announced that the NATO land operation has already started, against Yugoslavia
with thousands of Kosovo guerrillas and Albanian army units.
NATO is, reportedly providing air cover along the Albanian borders.
[10] US FUNDS
President Bill Clinton said today he would ask U.S. Congress for emergency funds to pay for NATO's Kosovo air campaign and for humanitarian aid to the thousands of refugees fleeing the Yugoslav province. While Clinton did not cite a figure, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said it would be roughly $6 billion. Congressional sources said they expected the request to include $5.45 billion for the Pentagon and about $491 million in humanitarian aid.
In India the main opposition Congress party is expected to be asked to form and lead a new government with the support of communist, regional and caste-based parties following the fall of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's administration on Saturday. But if it fails to get sufficient backing from that raft of parties to form a majority, they could form a minority government with outside support from Congress or rule alongside Congress with one of their leaders as prime minister.
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