Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-12-17

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign workers to have state health care

[02] Cyprus expects results from Clinton-Yilmaz meeting

[03] Cyprus, Malta sign cooperation agreement

[04] Foreign Minister in OSCE meeting

[05] Blair reaffirms position on Cyprus' EU prospects

1530:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Foreign workers to have state health care

Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides said the proposed bill will not cover foreigners working in off-shore companies.

Christofides said employers will contribute 75 Cyprus pounds (about 150 US dollars) for each employee per year. The employees themselves will contribute 75 pounds for their family members.

The fund will be handled by government officials from the Ministries of Health, Finance, Labour and Social Services and the office of the Auditor General.

Christofides said the government will be the largest contributor to the fund for legal foreign workers but pointed out that no-one will be refused medical care.

CNA RG/MA/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1720:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus expects results from Clinton-Yilmaz meeting

"We anticipate some results as the US President's comments on Cyprus were crystal clear. He reiterated his resolve to contribute to a settlement of the protracted Cyprus question," Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides said here today.

Christofides said the government shared the US President's view that economic growth and prosperity should not be impeded by other differences between states.

Clinton told a press conference on Tuesday it would be a grave error for Greece and Turkey to allow the potential they have for future economic growth and political and security cooperation to be broken on differences over Cyprus and other territorial disputes in the Aegean.

The spokesman welcomed recent statements by world leaders on repeated Turkish threats to integrate Cyprus' Turkish-occupied part with Turkey, following a European Union decision which in effect shuns Turkey from the list of candidate countries and reaffirms accession talks with Cyprus.

"Cyprus and Greece monitor developments and we are ready to deal with all eventualities in a cool and responsible manner," he added.

CNA RG/MM/MA/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1745:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus, Malta sign cooperation agreement

The agreement aims to encourage cooperation between the Universities of the two countries, and begin exchange programmes between secondary school teachers and people involved in the arts, the theatre and music.

CNA MA/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1745:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Foreign Minister in OSCE meeting

During his stay in the Danish capital, Kasoulides will meet his counterparts from Egypt, Poland and Eastern and Central European countries.

He returns to Cyprus on Saturday.

CNA MA/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1850:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Blair reaffirms position on Cyprus' EU prospects

Replying to questions in the House of Commons, Monday, Blair said Britain wants "to get the accession negotiations under way as quickly as possible".

However the British Premier pointed out that "accession will be easier if we can get a settlement to the Cyprus problem" and said all interested parties share this belief.

"I still say and I think that it is accepted by all those involved that accession will be easier, that is a statement of the obvious, but there are no preconditions in the accession negotiations," he said.

Referring to suggestions for Turkish Cypriot participation in the accession talks, Blair said "in the Council conclusions, we asked the President to work in the Commission for the proper inclusion of representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community in the delegation to the accession talks."

He said that how the Turkish Cypriots will be selected "is not a matter upon which we should comment, certainly not at this stage. We want to do this as quickly as possible."

In Luxembourg the EU decided to launch an accession process comprising the ten central and eastern European applicant states and Cyprus, in March next year.

CNA KT/MA/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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