Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 02-10-09

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From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

[01] Commission

[02] Ten countries

[03] Turkey

[04] US Europe

[05] Papapetrou

[06] Content

[07] Europe people

[08] Vajpayee

[09] Mideast

[10] Weather WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2002

[01] Commission

Sources from Brussels said the European Commission in its proposal, which will be forwarded to the Copenhagen European Council in December, makes special reference to the economic performance of Cyprus and Malta.

The report on Cyprus is 136 pages long and will be officially presented to the European Parliament today at three o'clock in the afternoon, by Commissioner on Enlargement Gunter Verheugen and President of the European Commission Romano Prodi.

A press conference will follow.

The official meeting to hand over the report to the Cypriot delegation will take place early this evening.

[02] Ten countries

Despite the hopes raised by today's submission of the progress reports, a pending obstacle remains, that of the Irish referendum on enlargement.

The referendum will be held on October 19. A new negative result will overturn or at least delay enlargement.

Furthermore, member states are still arguing about the amount of financial help to be offered to farmers and poor areas of candidate for EU accession countries.

[03] Turkey

The ambassadors of Germany, France, Britain and Denmark have been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, where they were told how dissatisfied Turkey is about certain references in the report.

In a public statement, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit expressed hope that Turkey would eventually join the European Union.

He made no other comments, in anticipation of the official progress report.

Sources said the report on Turkey notes that the country would not be receiving a date for the commencement of accession negotiations, as it does not meet the Copenhagen criteria.

[04] US Europe

State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston, in a statement to the Financial Times, urged the Europeans to recognise the tremendous, as he described it, progress Turkey has made, through reforms.

[05] Papapetrou

The Spokesman expressed certainty that accession would change Cyprus' face, would upgrade the island and bring better days.

This day, he said, is an expression of the great effort of the Cyprus people, the political forces, the government, the House of Representatives, the legal and other services.

The Spokesman agreed with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis that a lot of work has yet to be done until the Copenhagen summit.

[06] Content

It adds that the accession terms could be adapted in such a way so that they reflect a comprehensive settlement and the island-wide implementation of the acquis communautaire.

The Commission presents its proposal for financially helping the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic in order to bring the economy to the level of the free areas, and to support a Cyprus settlement.

The strategy paper notes that if a solution is not found, then the Copenhagen summit decisions in December will be based on the Helsinki summit conclusions.

The accession treaty, to be signed during the Greek presidency of the Union on April 16, 2003, will cover the whole of the Republic of Cyprus, with the acquis communautaire being implemented only in the free areas, without any term for further negotiation or agreement with the Union when a solution comes about.

[07] Europe people

With the addition of 75 million people living in the ten candidate countries, the population of the European Union will reach 455 million.

The largest countries in population today are China and India.

[08] Vajpayee

The official seeing off ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of President Glafcos Clerides.

The Indian Prime Minister was seen off at Larnaca Airport by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides.

Mr. Vajpayee is flying to Copenhagen for the EU-India meeting.

[09] Mideast

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell asked Congress to provide overwhelming backing for a resolution authorizing a possible U.S. strike on Iraq.

- - - -

Preparing for entry into Iraq, U.N. inspectors put down in writing how they expected Baghdad to facilitate "immediate, unconditional and unrestricted" access to suspected weapons sites.

- - - -

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended a raid that killed 16 Palestinians and vowed further strikes in the Gaza Strip despite international condemnation and concern in the White House.

But Sharon expressed regret for the latest civilian casualties in an attack on Monday that Israel said was aimed at showing militants they had nowhere to hide.

[10] Weather

Winds will be northwesterly, moderate, three to four beaufort, and in the south of the island southwesterly to westerly, moderate.

Seas will be slight.

Temperatures will reach 30 degrees inland and along the south and east coasts, 28 along the west and north coasts, and 21 over the mountains.

Tonight will be generally clear.

Winds will be northwesterly to northerly, light, two to three beaufort, over slight seas.

Temperatures will drop to 16 degrees inland, to 18 along the coast, and to 11 over the mountains.

The fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas.

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