Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-03-05

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Thursday, March 5, 1998

It's back to the Cyprus problem

WITH all election-related business completed, the Cyprus problem returned to the front pages in different forms and guises.

Alithia reported that yesterday's arrival of EU Commissioner Hans van den Broek signalled the start of the countdown on the participation of Turkish Cypriots in EU accession talks.

The decisions to be taken on the matter, it said, would determine the nature of a Cyprus settlement as well as the EU accession course. The representative of the British presidency of the EU, Sir David Hannay, was also expected to return to island yesterday.

Haravghi said that van den Broek would be bringing a proposal, named "sovereign umbrella formula", which he devised with Sir David.

The formula allows Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to participate in a joint delegation, without recognising each other. With the formula, the Turkish Cypriots would participate in EU accession talks as the equals of the Cyprus government.

Phileleftheros said that Rauf Denktash was building a "wall of isolation" around him. After his refusal to see Sir David, he declined an invitation to talks with British Foreign Secretary Sir Robin Cook and had closed the door to van den Broek.

Denktash's stance, which has been criticised by the Turkish Cypriot opposition, has put foreign mediators in a quandary as the last hopes of breaking the Cyprus deadlock were being shattered; however, Denktash enjoyed the full support of Ankara, the paper said.

Simerini reported that Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) had decided that no wage increases should be given to workers this year apart from the cost of living allowance. Oev said this was made necessary by economic conditions and the need to maintain the competitiveness of local companies.

The general secretary of trade unions federation Sek, Mikis Ioannou, replied that it was not possible to renew collective agreements as they were. After all, union pay demands were "restrained" and within the limits of national productivity.

Machi warned that the National Guard's British-made radar systems were in danger of becoming inoperative because London, acting on instructions from the US, had refused to supply spare parts.

The Foreign Office had used as a pretext UN Security Council resolution 1062 which expressed "serious concerns about the modernisation and upgrading of military forces" in Cyprus.

Agon said the police force had dealt another powerful blow to the drug traffickers, in their merciless war against drugs. They had uncovered a shipment of 30kg of marijuana hidden in a container with coal at Limassol port.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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