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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 01-11-19Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>Monday, 19 November 2001CONTENTS
[01] President Clerides returns from New YorkThe President of the Republic Mr Glafcos Clerides returned from New York last Saturday, where he addressed the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly.Replying to journalists' questions on arrival at Larnaca airport, on whether he had accepted the Turkish Cypriot leader's invitation to talks, President Clerides said: "We have exchanged three letters with Mr Denktash. In the first letter Mr Denktash requested a meeting without preconditions to exchange views on the Cyprus question. I replied that such a meeting should take place within the UN Secretary General's good offices mission to reinforce his efforts to reach a settlement." President Clerides said that in his second letter Mr Denktash reiterated what he had said in his first letter and assured that his intention was not to by-pass the UN Secretary General's good offices mission. In his reply, President Clerides expressed satisfaction that Mr Denktash did not wish to deviate from UN procedures but noted that "a UN Secretary General's Representative should attend the meeting and later brief the Secretary General, who would in turn brief the Security Council". The third letter by Mr Denktash repeats a request for a face to face meeting without any preconditions in an effort to assist the UN Secretary General in his task and requests the meeting to be set up within the first 10 days of December, the President said, adding that he had not yet replied to this letter, but he would do so within the following day. Asked to comment on a statement by Mr Denktash that the UN Secretary General's Representative, who would be present at the meeting, would take notes but would not interfere, President Clerides said that the UN Representative would be present to be able to brief the Secretary General. He also noted that even during previous meetings the UN Representative, just gave some 'non papers' asking for the two sides' views, but did not interfere in the discussions. [02] Turkish efforts to introduce a reference to the "TRNC" in the Islamic Conference final communique failTurkish efforts to upgrade the status of the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", by introducing a reference to it in the paragraph on Cyprus included in the final communique of the Islamic Conference, have failed. Moreover the Turkish representative who addressed the Ministerial meeting of the Islamic Conference was accepted not as a representative of the "entity,' but as the Representative of the Turkish Muslim Community of Cyprus.The Islamic Conference, held in the framework of the 56th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 15 November, issued a final communique, which included the following reference to Cyprus: "The meeting expressed its firm support for the rightful cause of the Turkish Muslim people of Cyprus, and reaffirmed its resolutions and declarations on Cyprus. It called for a just and negotiated settlement that would respect their legitimate aspirations. It emphasised the key importance of respect of the principle of equal political status in promoting a negotiated settlement acceptable to both the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot sides and to this effect it called on the two sides to reciprocally acknowledge each other's equal status in order to pave the way for a lasting solution. In this respect it welcomed the statement made by the United Nations Secretary General on 12 September 2000 (SG/SM/7546) at the outset of the fourth round of proximity talks. The meeting was addressed by the Representative of the Turkish Muslim Community of Cyprus" [03] Statements by the Spokesman for the UN Secretary GeneralAsked to comment, during his regular press briefing on 15 November 2001, on reports that President Clerides has accepted Mr Denktash's proposal for a face to face meeting, the Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary General Mr Fred Eckhard stated the following:"I am aware of the ongoing exchange of letters between his Excellency Mr Glafcos Clerides and his Excellency Mr Rauf Denktash regarding the possibility of the two meeting face to face. I understand that a UN representative would be present. The rapid exchange of letters indicates that the pace seems to be picking up. Let's wait the outcome and hope that it will move the process forward." Replying to another question Mr Eckhard said he hoped the meeting would stay "within the good offices mission of the UN Secretary General". [04] Presentation of CredentialsMr Stavros Epaminondas presented his credentials on 14 November 2001 to the President of the Federal Republic of Austria, Dr Thomas Klestil, as Cyprus' new Ambassador to Austria.Accepting his credentials, Mr Klestil underlined that Austria remains committed to a peaceful settlement on Cyprus on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and noted that "many initiatives aiming at a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue have been launched in the last decade, not few of them upon Austrian initiative or with Austria's active participation". He also stressed that Austria will continue to fully support the United Nations Secretary General in his efforts to get the peace process back on track. [05] Applications for Cyprus passports by Turkish Cypriots tripleThe Minister of the Interior Mr Christodoulos Christodoulou, replying to press questions on 16 November, on the number of Turkish Cypriots applying for Cyprus passports, said that applications have tripled in the last two years, increasing from 200 to 600 or even 800. "It is quite clear that the Turkish Cypriots have realised that with the Cyprus passport they will have important benefits in view of the forthcoming accession of Cyprus to the European Union", he said.Finally, Mr Chistodoulou described as unlawful, dictatorial and inhuman, the measures taken by Mr Denktash against the Turkish Cypriots. From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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