Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-04-11

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

News Update

Friday, 11/04/97

CONTENTS

• [01] Cyprus government submits new goodwill proposals
• [02] UN envoy says there is some progress on Cyprus
• [03] Government Spokesman says progress on talks is not on the substance of the Cyprus problem
• [04] Strong economy is the passport to the EU, says Foreign Minister
• [05] Government aims to attract wider spectrum of tourists
• [06] European Parliament adopts resolution on enclaved
• [07] Russia and Cyprus to sign bilateral investment agreement
• [08] Cyprus and Bulgaria sign co-operation agreement

[01] Cyprus government submits new goodwill proposals

"The government", he added, "awaits the response of the United Nations".

[02] UN envoy says there is some progress on Cyprus

"We have moved towards certain things where the two sides are close and where it ought to be possible to achieve a common understanding, including these goodwill gestures that we have been working on," Feissel said.

Speaking on arrival yesterday at Larnaca airport on his return from a meeting in Geneva between UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, Feissel added that although progress has been made during his separate meetings with President Glafcos Clerides, and Denktash, the two sides have not quite reached total agreement on both the substance and the good will gestures.

"I think we've had some good talks. We're close to doing certain things, modest things. But until we do it there's nothing," Feissel said, and added that once agreement was reached on the goodwill measures, they would be implemented at once.

Feissel said that UN Chief Kofi Annan had underlined to Denktash the need to move forward on the Cyprus problem and to work towards an overall settlement, expressing both his personal interest in the Cyprus problem and the "great importance" he attaches to it.

The UN envoy will brief President Clerides this morning on the Annan- Denktash meeting.

[03] Government Spokesman says progress on talks is not on the substance of the Cyprus problem

He said that real progress would be if there were convergence of views on the issues of sovereignty, political equality, demilitarisation or guarantees.

He dismissed a call by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for direct talks with President Clerides on the Ghali Set of Ideas, saying proximity talks should continue to establish whether there was common ground to make a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders possible. He added that in talks on the Ideas in the past, Denktash had failed to budge on a single issue. The Turkish Cypriot leader's only motive in this case, as so often in the past, was to buy time and block a settlement, he said.

Mr Christofides said UN officials had been careful to speak about "indications" and the "possibility of progress".

"We hope there is progress, and that the Turkish side abandons its intransigent position. But at the moment we do not have any signs of this," Christofides said.

The spokesman said a blackout on statements about the proximity talks prevented him from elaborating, but said face-to-face talks could only go ahead once common ground was reached.

"The procedure of the proximity talks is under way and should continue. We welcome the comments of UN spokesmen of encouraging signs, but note that they too see the need for more progress before we can reach face-to-face talks. That is why we must stay with this procedure. We cannot change direction," he said.

[04] Strong economy is the passport to the EU, says Foreign Minister

"A strong economy," he added, "will assist the struggle for the re- unification of Cyprus and will be its passport for accession to the EU."

Cassoulides said the production sector should adapt to new circumstances, noting that some of the most important steps that had to be made for the liberalisation of the market had already been taken.

Assessing recent developments in the Cyprus problem, Cassoulides said there has been growing international interest in a Cyprus settlement, to which Turkish intransigence is the main obstacle, and pointed out that it is in the interest of the EU to try to curb this intransigence.

[05] Government aims to attract wider spectrum of tourists

The President said funds have been poured into the construction of three new marinas and golf courses to attract quality tourism.

Moreover, he added, in keeping with European standards, Cyprus has introduced the Blue Flag on eleven beaches to promote the island as "a country with a developed awareness of environmental issues".

On his part, Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) President, Antonis Andronikou, told hoteliers Cyprus is moving gradually beyond the image of sun and surf towards emphasising new forms of tourism, such as cultural, athletic, convention and agro-tourism.

He said the CTO has undertaken a more aggressive marketing campaign in traditional markets and is also expanding into new markets such as Poland, Hungary, Switzerland and the Baltic States.

Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister, Kyriakos Christofi, also assured hoteliers the government will do its utmost to aid the hotel and tourism industry to not only meet but surpass current tourism levels.

Over two million tourists visit Cyprus each year, mainly from the UK and other European countries.

[06] European Parliament adopts resolution on enclaved

The resolution describes as unacceptable the conditions set by the Turkish occupation regime to requests by EuroMPs to visit some 500 Greek Cypriots living in the Turkish-occupied part of the island, saying these are tantamount to de facto recognition of the illegal occupation.

Denouncing the continuing violation of the human rights of the enclaved, the resolution stresses that a delegation of the European Parliament should be allowed to visit them, unconditionally, in order to prepare a report on their living conditions.

It also calls upon the UN, the European Union and the Council of Ministers and the European Commission in particular, to take the necessary measures to see to the improvement of the living conditions of the enclaved.

The Cyprus government through its Spokesman Manolis Christofides, today expressed satisfaction with the resolution, saying it covers all the aspects of this issue.

[07] Russia and Cyprus to sign bilateral investment agreement

The Finance Minister will meet Russian Federation Culture Minister, Evgeny V. Sidorov to discuss the agenda of the first meeting of the Inter- Governmental Committee on Economic, Technical and Industrial Co-operation, to take place in Moscow in June.

He will then fly to London where he will represent Cyprus at the Annual General Meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, from April 13 and 15.

The 58-member Bank aims to help eastern European countries and former republics of the Soviet Union to ease into the free market economy.

[08] Cyprus and Bulgaria sign co-operation agreement

The agreement provides for measures aimed at increasing the volume and improving the quality of postal and telecommunications transmission, between the two countries, and also encourages the transmission of radio and TV programmes through the two countries.

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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