Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 02-01-10

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

Thursday, 10 January 2002

CONTENTS

• [01] Government submits to the UN its report on combating terrorism
• [02] Greek Prime Minister meets with UN Secretary General
• [03] Reference to Cyprus in the House of Commons

[01] Government submits to the UN its report on combating terrorism

According to resolution 1373 all United Nations member states had the obligation to report within a period of three months on the action taken for the implementation of the provisions of the resolution. It must be noted that Cyprus has ratified or acceded to ten of the twelve international conventions pertaining to international terrorism.

The 24-page report outlines in great detail the measures taken by the Cyprus Government to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts and the penalties for committing such offences. It includes an account of legislative procedures to freeze accounts and assets at financial institutions. It refers to mechanisms and procedures in place to assist other states in the fight against terrorism and. to exercise control at the country's borders

The report points out that the fight against international crime, particularly terrorism, through international cooperation is one of the Government's top foreign policy priorities, adding that "it fully shares the view for the necessity of global mobilization against terrorism under the aegis of the United Nations."

Moreover, it stresses the Cyprus Government's commitment to joining forces with all governments in the struggle to eliminate terrorism.

"The Government is committed to joining forces with all governments on a bilateral level as well as in international fora in the struggle to eliminate terrorism. This determination has been explicitly stated at the highest level with the assurance that all practical measures are carried out in cooperation with the international community and in line with the obligations deriving from the relevant resolutions and the relevant international conventions, to which Cyprus is a party".

The full text of the report can be found at

[02] Greek Prime Minister meets with UN Secretary General

"Concerning Cyprus both the Prime Minister and the Secretary General agreed that the chances of real progress are better now than they have been for a long time. The Secretary General told the Prime Minister that that the United Nations remains engaged in this issue."

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis stated the following:

"I had an open and friendly discussion with the Secretary General. We have spoken about Cyprus, the Balkans and Afghanistan.

On Cyprus-Mr. Annan said that he thinks a solution is possible. He hopes that until June there will be a possibility to judge if we have arrived at a solution and the general framework of the solution. And the opinion of Mr. de Soto and Mr. Annan is that there should be continuous discussions. The two parties will meet three times a week, the United Nations will be cautious, but they will work very hard as they have a positive feeling of a possibility for a solution."

Asked whether he had discussed with the Secretary General the fact that Turkey continues to insist on the recognition of two separate states under a confederation scheme, which is not, of course, in accordance with the UN resolutions, and what were Mr Annan's comments, Mr Simitis stated the following:

"I mentioned this to Mr. Annan and Mr. Annan is with the same opinion that I have, that in such a case-not only in this case-but also in similar cases, one of the parties always insists on his point of view. Turkey insists on its point of view but there is a change in the situation and Mr. Denktash has not undertaken this trip to Mr. Clerides, has not crossed the line, without the Turks knowing it. So the Turks have a very hard attitude but this is not their attitude. But we don't care we have to continue our negotiations in order to solve the problem."

Replying to another question on whether "the Secretary General is binding the final solution with the accession of Cyprus in the end of this year" and whether "it is his purpose to have a political solution before or within the accession of the EU", the Prime Minister replied:

"We mentioned the accession but as I told you before, the Secretary General hopes that at the end of June we will have the outlines of a solution. Now the accession will take place at the end of the year 2003 and though the solution of the political problem is not a condition for the accession, the solution of the political problem as is understandable to everybody will make accession far more easier. In any case I must remind all of you that on the part of the EU, the Commission has several times said that there will be accession also without a solution of the political problem. I think it is in the interest of all of us to solve the political problem as soon as possible. It remains unsolved for over 25 years and though, as I said, a solution is not a precondition for accession we must try to solve it as soon as possible."

[03] Reference to Cyprus in the House of Commons

"My Right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discusses Cyprus regularly with Turkish foreign minister Cem. He visited Ankara 17-18 October and met Foreign Minister Cem at the UN General Assembly on 12 November. The Foreign Secretary's last formal bilateral with Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou was on 4 October, at which Cyprus was discussed, but they also have discussions regularly in the margins of EU and other international meetings."

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

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