Visit the Macedonia Homepage (by Nikolaos Martis) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-06-15

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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


CONTENTS

  • [01] PRESIDENT - UN
  • [02] UNFICYP - RESOLUTION
  • [03] EU - DRAFT CONCLUSIONS
  • [04] FM - GREECE

  • [01] PRESIDENT - UN

    Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos has expressed the hope that the UN Secretary General`s Special Representative for Cyprus Michael Moller will help so that the preparation of the talks for a Cyprus settlement, as agreed in Paris with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, will succeed.

    Replying to questions prior to his departure for Brussels, regarding Turkish Cypriot press reports that the Director of his Diplomatic Office, Ambassador Tasos Tzionis, has met with Rasit Pertev, advisor to ther Turkish Cypriot leader, to discuss the issue of the technical committees, the President said that Moller`s meetings with the two sides continue since the beginning of March.

    ``Both sides have been committed that there would be no announcement of any procedures or any separate meetings, because I don`t think that these issues can be promoted through discussions and debates in the media,`` President Papadopoulos said, adding that ``we keep our promises`` and efforts continue.

    He explained that efforts aim at starting the discussion of important issues on a technical level, as agreed in Paris, and of other issues depending on the progress made with the core issues.

    This, the President added, was and remains ``our position from the beginning,`` expressing the hope that eventually Moeller will help ``so that this correct form of preparation of talks for a Cyprus solution will succeed,`` noting that generally technical committees deal with issues of preparation of the substance of the negotiations.

    Responding to another question, the President noted that he personally as well as his representatives made it clear to the UN official that there is no intention on the Greek Cypriot side to get involved in a game of imputation of liabilities.

    ``We are even prepared to silently accept imputation of liabilities to us, even if there aren`t any, because we are concerned with the substance and not with the game of attribution of responsibility. This is our position and we will repeat it with consistency until the end,`` President Papadopoulos said.

    He further described as ``neutral`` the resolution on the renewal of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus` (UNFICYP) mandate, noting that the Republic of Cyprus makes efforts to reverse the terminology used since 1999 referring to two entities instead of two communities.

    Asked if he is troubled by the British stance with the US support during the consultations at the UN for the approval of the resolution, promoting the use of the term entities, he said ``of course`` but noted that the other three countries in the Security Council ``have supported our positions.``

    Replying to other questions, the President said it was wrong on UNFICYP`s behalf to monitor a search-and-rescue naval exercise in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, adding that the Republic of Cyprus has made representations.

    ``This exercise is considered illegal, not only by us, but also by previous decisions of the United Nations on Cyprus,`` the President pointed out, adding that Turkey has no right in the coastal waters of the Republic or in the areas in which the exercise was conducted.

    He added that the Annan Plan provided for such an exercise but the plan has not been approved, and therefore it is invalid.

    ``The UN should first respect their own decisions, that Cyprus remains a sovereign and independent state with all its sovereign rights in the airspace and the sea,`` the President concluded.

    [02] UNFICYP - RESOLUTION

    The ten-day diplomatic marathon for the wording of the Security Council`s resolution on the renewal of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus` (UNFICYP) six-month mandate is expected to wrap up today, as the Council is expected to convene in an open session to approve a resolution on the renewal of UNFICYP`s mandate until December 15, 2006.

    Diplomatic sources said that American and British diplomats employing ambiguous wording tried to alter the basis of the UN Secretary General`s Good Offices Mission, using terms as ``parties``, which represent two entities which negotiate instead of ``two communities.``

    Problems emerged regarding the technical committees, announced during a meeting on February 28 between UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos.

    [03] EU - DRAFT CONCLUSIONS

    The European Council draft conclusions, expected to be adopted on June 15 and 16 in Brussels, clearly refer to the EU statement of 21 September 2005 on Turkey`s obligations towards the EU, including the implementation of the additional protocol extending its customs union to the ten new EU member states.

    According to EU sources, the reference is made in paragraph 38 of the draft conclusions, which concerns Turkey.

    According to the draft conclusions, the European Council ``reviewed progress made in the acquis screening and welcomes the start of substantive accession negotiations with Turkey`` and that ``Turkey is expected to share the values, objectives and the legal order set out in the treaties.``

    ``The Union is committed to support Turkey in its efforts to comply with the Union`s standards and membership obligations, including the Copenhagen criteria,`` it adds.

    The European Council ``recalls, in line with previous conclusions, that the current negotiations are based on each country`s own merits and that their pace will depend on each country`s progress in preparing for accession measured against the requirements set out in the Negotiating Framework.``

    [04] FM - GREECE

    Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs George Lillikas will be going to Athens on June 22 for a working visit, during which he will hold talks with his Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyiannis.

    According to an official press release, Lillikas will also be received by President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias.


    Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    cna2html v2.01 run on Thursday, 15 June 2006 - 13:39:37 UTC