Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 99-04-07

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Russian officials - Cyprus

[02] Kyprianou - Euro Socialists

[03] URGENT Cyprus - Yugoslavia - Three US soldiers

1200:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Russian officials - Cyprus

A second diplomat, Russia's envoy for Cyprus, Vladimir Tchizov, who is accompanied by Alexander Shcherbakov, head of the division of Greece and Cyprus of the Third European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, will arrive on the island this evening.

A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Nicosia told CNA Wednesday that the delay in Avteyev's visit was due to developments in the Yugoslav crisis.

He is expected in Cyprus either tomorrow night or Friday morning and will be received by President Clerides and meet Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

Meanwhile, Tchizov and Shcherbakov will meet tomorrow morning Kasoulides and then will hold talks at the Foreign Ministry.

Later in the afternoon, they will cross into the Turkish-occupied north of the island to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

The two diplomats, who are visiting Cyprus as part of Russia's efforts to help find a Cyprus settlement, will leave on Friday afternoon with Avteyev.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory.

Russia has repeatedly called for a solution to the Cyprus problem, in accordance with repeated UN resolutions, providing for the establishment of a bicommunal, bizonal federation.

CNA EC/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1230:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Kyprianou - Euro Socialists

Speaking on behalf of the Group, Terry Davies, told reporters after meeting Acting President of the Republic, House President, Spyros Kyprianou, "this is a very good opportunity to bring ourselves up to date with the problem of Cyprus".

He said the Socialist Group is very active in the Assembly of the Council of Europe and noted that it is the biggest political group there with many MPs, many of them have "a deep love and attachment to the island of Cyprus".

Davies said "there is a lot of sympathy for the people of Cyprus among all Socialists throughout Europe because we have in the front of our programme a respect for human rights".

He noted that "there is nowhere where that (the human rights) is more important than in the island of Cyprus, and when we talk about human rights, we are talking about the human rights of everybody who lives on this island".

The Socialists, he added, want to "see, one island with one government in the long term. How we achieve that, that is a problem, it will take time, it has taken far too long already".

Kyprianou said he had "a very interesting and substantive discussion" with emphasis on the Cyprus problem and human rights.

CNA EC/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1315:CYPPRESS:03

[03] URGENT Cyprus - Yugoslavia - Three US soldiers

Cyprus Acting President, House President Spyros Kyprianou, announced he is flying to Belgrade this afternoon via Athens to meet President Milosevic and take the three prisoners of war.

"I will bring them to Cyprus and give them to the US authorities," Kyprianou told the press.

He said it was a purely humanitarian mission. "I hope it will succeed and pave the way for peaceful developments."

He said he had requested a 24-hour cease-fire in Yugoslavia in order to conclude his mission successfully. More later

CNA EC/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article