Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-07-29

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CONTENTS

[01] EU presidency representative expresses optimism

[02] Motorcyclists determined to ride to Kyrenia

1130:CYPPRESS:01

[01] EU presidency representative expresses optimism

After a meeting he had this morning with President Glafcos Clerides, Heaslip said ''I am more optimistic now than I was an hour ago.''

He based his optimism on ''the President's approach to the Cyprus problem and the way the President expounded the Cyprus question.''

''It was perfectly obvious to me that he is determined to find a solution,'' he added.

The Irish Ambassador, who arrived here yesterday, ''to listen to the views of the parties involved in the Cyprus question'', described the meeting with President Clerides as ''extremely useful and comprehensive''.

He said ''I learned a great deal from it'' on the subject of Cyprus and noted ''this is the first substantive meeting I've had with a principal statesman involved in Cyprus.''

Asked if the issue of security was discussed, Heaslip said this was mentioned but did not dominate the talks.

Present at the meeting were Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides and Under Secretary to the President Pantelis Kouros, as well as Ireland's Athens-based Ambassador to Cyprus Liam Rigney, who accompanies Heaslip in his Cyprus talks.

After the meeting with President Clerides the EU presidency representative for Cyprus had talks with Foreign Minister Michaelides.

At noon he crossed over to the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia to meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

CNA AP/MM/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1845:CYPPRESS:06

[02] Motorcyclists determined to ride to Kyrenia

Speaking at a press conference president of the Cyprus Motorcycle Federation (CMF) George Hadjicostas said the aim is to have a "peaceful ride, without incidents, to show the foreigners that the Turkish occupation army does not allow us to move freely in our own country".

"We want freedom, we want justice, we want to go to Kyrenia", Hadjicostas stressed.

The Grand Paneuropean Ride Berlin-Kyrenia, is organised by the CMF is cooperation with the Federation of European Motorcyclists, and aims to enlighten the world on the violation of human rights in Cyprus.

The motorcyclists in Europe have an informative leaflet and a special documentary on the Cyprus tragedy, while posters and other details about the ride have been sent abroad.

The ride, starts in Berlin on August 2 and will pass through the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, FYRoM and Greece. The 120 motorcyclists will board a ship at Piraeus and will arrive in Cyprus on August 10.

Another seven thousand Cypriot motorcyclists will join the ones arriving from Europe and will attempt to cross, through the only check point in the divided island, to the Turkish occupied part of the island.

Motorcyclists plan to cross at Ledra Palace check point in Nicosia, the only divided European capital, and to then ride to the northern coastal town of Kyrenia, something that has been impossible for 22 years now due to continuing Turkish occupation.

According to Hajicostas, Chairwoman of the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee, Mechtild Rothe, will attend and address the press conference on August 2 in Berlin and is expected to attend the start of the Cyprus ride in Dherynia.

Furthermore, Cyrpiot Euro-MP, Yiannos Kranidiotis, and Chairwoman of the Socialist Group at the European Parliament, Pauline Green, are among many Euro-MPs that have also expressed great interest in the ride.

"We are not rioters", Hadjicostas concluded. "We are Cypriots demanding the termination of the occupation and the respect of human rights. We do not tolerate this defeatism anymore and we do not accept the restriction of our patriotic feelings by anybody. We want freedom, we want justice, we want to go to Kyrenia".

CNA MCH/KN/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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