Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 99-05-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Exhumations - Haglund

[02] Exhumations - UNFICYP

[03] All Trade Union Forum - Declaration

[04] Deputies - Berlin meeting

[05] Foreign Minister - EU - G8

1605:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Exhumations - Haglund

"Today we are digging a test trench and the test trench offers us a window to look into the ground, we are not going to encounter any human remains," Professor William Haglund, who leads the team of experts from the Nobel peace prize award co-winner "Physicians for Human Rights" (PHR) told the press.

Speaking on site, at one of the two cemeteries where exhumations will take place, Haglund said the experts "are just going to see what the earth looks like under the surface and we will see where the original hole was dug and where the undisturbed ground is and how deep the original hole was."

This, he explained, is part of the preliminary stage and the planning stage.

Professor Haglund recognised that the people of Cyprus have been very patient for 25 years and said he has received "wonderful support" from everybody in Cyprus for the task ahead.

He appealed to the media to show patience as well because, as he explained, "the work we do is very slow and we are going to take our time and do things right."

"I have not made up my mind about what we are going to find, we find what we find and we will share that with you when we find it," he said.

Asked when he expects to have the first positive result, he noted that "the first positive result happened about five months ago when I first came here when we decided to do this project."

Replying to other press questions, he said he does not expect to find a tomb in the area being dug today but added "we are going on the basis that we have to exhume everything."

PHR is a Boston-based international organisation that does investigations and exhumations and tries to identify people around the world and has worked in Rwanda, Bosnia, Somalia and Croatia.

CNA MM/RG/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1610:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Exhumations - UNFICYP

An official of the United Nations peace-keeping force told the CNA that "any steps which help to implement the July 31 agreement are welcome".

The agreement provides that, as a first step to resolving the problem of the missing persons, the two sides would provide each other immediately and simultaneously all information already at their disposal on the location of graves of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot missing persons.

The deal was agreed between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, in the presence of the then UN Chief of Mission, Gustave Feissel.

It also stated that the two leaders agreed that the remains of persons known to have been killed in action on either side would be returned to their families.

There are 1,619 persons listed as missing in the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. So far the fate of only one person was established.

CNA RG/MM/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1615:CYPPRESS:03

[03] All Trade Union Forum - Declaration

The declaration was signed by 16 of the 17 participating trade unions, representing the whole spectrum of the working class of Cyprus.

Delegates reiterated the "unanimous declarations" of the previous two Fora, which took place in 1995 and 1997, and declared that "they aim at a speedy and just solution of the Cyprus problem, based on a federal democratic system".

They also stated that "the high level agreements (between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides in 1977 and 1979) and the relevant resolutions of the UN must be realised with full respect of the human rights of all the citizens", calling also for "the establishment of a unitary economy without any form of discrimination".

The representatives "express their belief that in view of the growing globalisation of the world economy and the increasing inter-dependence of national economies, the accession of Cyprus to the European Union will benefit the economy, the workers and the people of Cyprus as a whole".

They also stress the necessity to safeguard in the future federal state a "one type system of employment and labour relations, a unitary system of social insurance, unified standards of wages and salaries, the right of freedom of movement, freedom of association and choice of employer in any part of Cyprus, and no discrimination whatsoever in respect of employment or emoluments, due to ethnic origin, religion, colour or sex".

The representatives state that the above objectives "assume renewed significance in view of the accession process" and consider them "a necessary prerequisite for harmonisation with the basic principles and practice applying in the European Union".

They also decided to cooperate with European trade unions and the EU in organising seminars of European content for the preparation of the trade union movement in view of the forthcoming accession of the island.

The declaration also calls for the "unobstructed and free movement" of trade unionists to carry out trade union activities and calls on "the political leaders of Cyprus, international and regional trade unions, the UN, the EU and other international organisations, as well as on all parties involved in the effort to facilitate a peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem, to work for the attainment of the above objectives".

CNA RG/MM/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1630:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Deputies - Berlin meeting

The Cyprus delegation comprises the President of the House Committee for Foreign and European Affairs, Tassos Papadopoulos, two members of the Committee, Demetris Syllouris and Doros Theodorou, and the Director of the International Relations Service, Yiannakis Georgiades.

Participants to the meeting will discuss various issues, such as EU common foreign and security policy, EU enlargement, trade relations between the EU and the US and Latin America and matters relating to "Agenda 2000".

CNA RG/MM/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1730:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Foreign Minister - EU - G8

He also said that one should not expect the G8 (seven most industrialised nations plus Russia) to make any initiative on the Cyprus problem, apart from an inclusion in their joint communique at their June summit, calling on the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to respond to an invitation by the UN Secretary-General to resume negotiations.

Speaking on his return from a trip to the Netherlands and Denmark, Kasoulides said that he has concluded a round of talks with his counterparts on Cyprus' European Union accession course.

He said that the conclusion of his contacts is that the accession course will carry on with membership talks, as it has done so far."

He also expressed hope that "in the mean time, the right messages will be sent to Turkey, which must regard Cyprus' accession as inevitable."

Kasoulides stressed that Turkey must decide whether "it is to its benefit for Cyprus to accede to the EU with the current status quo, or whether it would be better to cooperate with the international community towards a solution of the Cyprus problem and the establishment of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, and the accession of a Cyprus, whose government will also include Turkish Cypriots."

Responding to questions, Kasoulides said that "there will be no G8 initiative" on the Cyprus problem, adding that they will only include a paragraph in their joint declaration, "calling on the parties to participate in unconditional talks, to be called by the UN Secretary- General".

CNA RG/MM/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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