Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-02-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] US Cyprus envoy arrives Sunday

[02] Cyprus-Lesotho establish diplomatic ties

[03] Cyprus talks continue on core issues

[04] Spokesman says preparatory meeting for donors' conference in April

[05] Key official interest rates remain unchanged

[06] Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation starts

[07] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[08] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[09] Papadopoulos wants substantive negotiations

[10] Alvaro de Soto: leaders have clear ideas of each other's proposals

[11] UN Deputy Secretary General to visit Cyprus next week

[12] Cyprus Airways records losses in 2003

[13] Christodoulou lists MPC decision factors

[14] Russia supports Cyprus settlement based on UN decisions

[01] US Cyprus envoy arrives Sunday

0925:CYPPRESS:01

US Cyprus envoy arrives Sunday

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- Thomas Weston, US State Department special coordinator for Cyprus, arrives here on Sunday for a brief visit during which he will have contacts with the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides, which started talks last week with a view at reaching a political settlement by May 1 this year when Cyprus joins the European Union.

Weston will be received by President Tassos Papadopoulos and have separate meetings with House President Demetris Christofias and Foreign Minister George Iacovou.

He will also see Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Dentkash, Mehmet Ali Talat and Serdar Denktash both of whom accompany Denktash in the UN-led talks.

The American diplomat will meet UN Secretary General's special adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, who conducts the talks.

[02] Cyprus-Lesotho establish diplomatic ties

0950:CYPPRESS:02

Cyprus-Lesotho establish diplomatic ties

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- Cyprus and the Kingdom of Lesotho have established diplomatic ties.

A joint communique announcing the agreement between the two states has been signed in Pretoria by Cyprus' High Commissioner Costas

[03] Cyprus talks continue on core issues

1055:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus talks continue on core issues

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash continue their discussions today, in the context of the UN-led talks, on issues that were on the agenda of yesterday's meeting that relate to the functionality of the state.

President Papadopoulos told the press as he left the Presidential Palace for the venue of the meetings, at the UN compound on Nicosia's former international airport, that discussions could move on to other matters about territory, now under Turkish occupation, that will be returned to the Greek Cypriots.

[04] Spokesman says preparatory meeting for donors' conference in April

1340:CYPPRESS:04

Spokesman says preparatory meeting for donors' conference in April

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) - Cypriot Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides confirmed today that the preparatory meeting of the donors' conference, to be convened to gather funds to sponsor the cost of a Cyprus settlement, would take place on April 15.

[05] Key official interest rates remain unchanged

1410:CYPPRESS:05

Key official interest rates remain unchanged

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- The Monetary Policy Committee, has decided that the key official interest rates would remain unchanged.

Central Bank Governor Christodoulos Christodoulou announced that the marginal lending facility (Lombard) and the overnight deposit facility would remain unchanged at 4.5% and 2.5% respectively.

[06] Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation starts

1400:CYPPRESS:06

Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation starts

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- Cypriot Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Efthymios Efthymiou inaugurated here today the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation (CAPO), which will deal with EU funds to be distributed to Cypriot farmers.

The minister visited CAPO's offices in the capital and during a special ceremony he signed the accreditation act.

The signing took place in the presence of George Cunningham, representative of the European Commission Delegation in Nicosia, and Cyprus' Harmonisation Coordinator Takis Hadjidemetriou.

[07] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1415:CYPPRESS:07

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station               Maximum     Minimum       Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------

Nicosia                 17             7           CLOUDY
Larnaca                 18            10           CLOUDY
Limassol                18            12           CLOUDY
Paphos                  18            10           CLOUDY

[08] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1520:CYPPRESS:08

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                               87,72   (-0,18)

Traded Value                  CYP  1.122.831

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP    699.545   376,86   (-0,38)
FTSE Med 100                                 6.299,88   ( 0,48)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP     405.648  108,39   (-0,71)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP      29.917   75,56   (-0,77)
Insurance Companies           CYP      10.103   16,92   ( 2,36)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP      45.885   57,54   ( 0,65)
Tourism Companies             CYP       8.175   61,37   (-3,06)
Trading Companies             CYP     213.695   24,38   (-0,29)
Building and Cement Companies CYP      28.310   70,65   (-0,97)
�nformation Technology
Companies                 CYP       9.272    3,28   ( 0,61)
Financial Services Companies  CYP      36.055   10,88   ( 1,30)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP           0   11,03   (-0,36)
Hotels                        CYP      13.663   36,87   ( 1,43)
Other Companies               CYP     110.645   72,48   ( 1,05)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[09] Papadopoulos wants substantive negotiations

1750:CYPPRESS:09

Papadopoulos wants substantive negotiations

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- The Greek Cypriot side wants negotiations on the Cyprus problem to be substantive and not a mere exchange of documents or consolidated positions, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said here Friday.

Speaking after his fifth meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in the context of the UN-sponsored talks aiming at a solution of the Cyprus problem by May 1st, when the island joins the European Union as a full member, Papadopoulos said today's discussions covered all issues in the first chapter of the agenda but the discussion was not completed, adding that on Monday the Turkish Cypriot side will make remarks on what the Greek Cypriot side had raised today.

President Papadopoulos said he would not be ''carried away either by interventions, pressure or anything else'' that falls outside the line that serves the interests of the people of Cyprus as a whole and especially those of the Greek Cypriots.

[10] Alvaro de Soto: leaders have clear ideas of each other's proposals

1810:CYPPRESS:10

Alvaro de Soto: leaders have clear idea of each other's proposals

by Maria Myles

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) -- Alvaro de Soto, UN Secretary General's special adviser on Cyprus, believes that as of next week the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot leaders will have before them clearly each other's proposals, something he described as ''important step, which should allow them to move on in their negotiations.

Speaking to CNA, he said that the turning point of the talks would be when information about what goes on behind closed doors stops trickling out and called on both leaders to spell out loud and clear their expressed desire to reach a settlement.

The UN envoy dismissed reports that talks are going badly and described the atmosphere around the negotiating table ''cordial'', the approach of both sides ''businesslike'', he said both sides show mutual understanding, they have done away with the rhetoric of the past and they generally stick to the agreed agenda.

De Soto urged all Cypriots to be patient and make their judgment on the outcome of the talks instead of passing judgment at this stage, noting that the people should trust the people they have chosen to represent them at the talks.

[11] UN Deputy Secretary General to visit Cyprus next week

1930:CYPPRESS:11

UN Deputy Secretary General to visit Cyprus next week

[12] Cyprus Airways records losses in 2003

1940:CYPPRESS:12

Cyprus Airways records losses in 2003

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) - The indication of results for the Cyprus Airways Group for the year that ended on 31 December 2003 is a net loss after tax of 20.9 million pounds in comparison to a net profit of 10.5 million pounds in 2002.

The Group's Financial Director Eleni Kalogirou told a press conference today in Nicosia that the consolidated Group revenue, excluding the revenue of the associated company Cyprus Airways (Duty-Free Shops) Limited, reached 187.7 million pounds in 2003 in comparison to 185.5 million pounds in 2002, registering an increase of 2.2 million pounds or 1.2%.

[13] Christodoulou lists MPC decision factors

1955:CYPPRESS:13

Christodoulou lists MPC decision factors

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) - Central Bank of Cyprus Governor Christodoulos Christodoulou listed the expansion of the public deficit, the low home economic activity and the significant drop of inflation in January 2004 as factors that led the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to maintain the key official interest rates unchanged.

[14] Russia supports Cyprus settlement based on UN decisions

2000:CYPPRESS:13

Russia supports Cyprus settlement based on UN decisions

Nicosia, Feb 27 (CNA) - Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Andrey Alexeevich Nertereko reaffirmed today that his country maintained a stance of principle on the Cyprus problem and noted that a solution should be based on UN Security Council decisions.

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