Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-02-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Russian assurances about missiles contract

[03] EU study programme launched

[04] President sends letters to UN, Britain, US

1615:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    79.73 (+0.80)

Highest: 82.46 (2/1/97)
Lowest : 73.90 (30/1/97)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  92.47 (+0.40)
Approved Investment Companies          62.47 (+1.43)
Insurance Companies                    56.40 (-0.39)
Industrial Companies                   75.58 (-0.20)
Tourist Industries                     68.23 (+8.23)
Commercial Companies                   37.19 (-1.80)
Other Companies                        68.13 (+4.25)

Trading Volume                         CYP 686605.857

CNA MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1720:CYPPRESS:05

[02] Russian assurances about missiles contract

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said today this was the message Russian ambassador to Cyprus, Georgi Mouratov, delivered to President Clerides during a brief meeting on Monday.

The Minister said the message was that "the contract for the S-300 missiles will be honoured to the full despite international reaction."

Kasoulides added Mouratov had asked to meet the President on his return from Moscow.

"They discussed certain issues which came up regarding the contract," he said, but did not elaborate.

Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides today described the discussion between President Clerides and the Russian ambassador as "serious" but said the contents of the discussion are confidential.

The government signed a contract to buy the S-300 in January 1997 and they are expected to be deployed here this summer.

The decision prompted angry reaction from both Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Ankara, while other foreign governments have also disagreed with the purchase.

The Cyprus government argues for its right to boost its defences in the light of the massive Turkish military presence in the island's northern areas, which Turkey occupies since its troops invaded in 1974.

The government has repeatedly stressed that the missiles will not be used unless Turkey launches a fresh offensive against Cyprus.

CNA MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2030:CYPPRESS:03

[03] EU study programme launched

The demonstration action project for the theoretical study of cycle networks in the free areas of the Republic got underway here Wednesday with a bicycle tour of the capital Nicosia.

The project, approved by the EU through its environmental programme "Life" for Third countries bordering the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea, relates to studies for cycle networks in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos.

Speaking at a press conference today, the Director of the Town Planning and Housing Department, Yiannos Papadopoulos said the aim of the project is to increase environmental awareness and the public's interest in cycle networks.

This, he said, will result in improving the town's quality of life.

Nicosia Mayor, Lellos Demetriades, told reporters that municipalities will contribute ten thousand pounds each to help meet the financial cost of the project.

The EU will finance 50 per cent of the cost, estimated at 190,000 Cyprus pounds (around 400,000 US Dollars).

Ambassador Gilles Anouil, head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Cyprus, said the EU, through the Life projects, has already financed a project for the Akamas peninsula, and is planning to finance more projects.

He said it will be "very useful for all Cypriots and will give the cities a European flair."

CNA RM/EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2035:CYPPRESS:04

[04] President sends letters to UN, Britain, US

President Clerides said that he has written today to Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, reiterating that "before the new round of talks begins they have to strongly encourage Turkey to change its positions on the Cyprus problem, in order for the negotiations to bear fruit."

The President described the letters as a "preemptive move" he considered necessary because of the Turkish side's refusal to participate in a new round of Cyprus peace talks.

He said this is not the first time he has stressed to the three men the need for Turkey to change its stance and added they understand his view.

Negotiations to solve the protracted Cyprus question are scheduled to begin after February's presidential elections.

President Clerides refrained from disclosing the context of his letters but said he stressed the Turkish side's refusal to negotiate and its demand for recongition of the illegal regime in the areas occupied by Turkey since its 1974 invasion of Cyprus.

The Turkish side made these threats after a European Union (EU) decision, taken at the Luxembourg summit in December last year, to open accession talks with Cyprus in April.

Asked if the Greek Cypriot side will participate in negotiations even if the Turkish side continues to be intransigent, the President replied "we will always be positive and we are ready to begin a dialogue."

He pointed out that if Ankara refuses a dialogue it will become obvious that "it is to blame for the lack of progress in a Cyprus settlement."

However, President Clerides stressed that the illegal entity unilaterally established in the occupied areas in 1983 cannot participate as a "state" because it is not recognised by the UN.

The President also said that in a meeting in London recently between the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook and the UN Secretary-General, Cook had asked Annan to begin his good offices mission for Cyprus immediately after the elections.

He said the UN Chief was positive and told the British official he would send his special envoy Diego Cordovez to Cyprus after the elections.

Cordovez had chaired two rounds of direct talks between the two sides in the summer of 1997, which came to a deadlock because the Turkish side refused to negotiate unless the EU witheld its decision to open accession talks with Cyprus.

The President clarified he sent the letter to British Premier Tony Blair as the leader of one of the three guarantor powers of Cyprus' independence (the others are Greece and Turkey) and in his capacity as the current EU rotating president.

CNA MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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