Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-12-17

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

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

CONTENTS

[01] MILITARY SERVICE - REDUCTION

[02] CMP - TURKEY - DONATION

[03] G/C - T/C PARTIES - CYPRUS ISSUE

[01] MILITARY SERVICE - REDUCTION

Announcing the Cabinets decision, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said Wednesday that the military service, which is compulsory for all male citizens, will be reduced by one month, from 25 to 24 months.

He explained that the decision is valid also for soldiers who joined the National Guard in 2007 and who will complete their service in January 2009 instead of February 2009. Stephanou clarified that the Cabinets decision is not linked to the governments plans to reduce the military service by six months.

[02] CMP - TURKEY - DONATION

According to a statement, this new donation will enable the CMP to pursue its project on the Exhumation, Identification and Return of Remains of Missing Persons in 2009. Other countries have also donated money to this purpose. In 2008, Greece and Germany donated 100,000 euro each while Ireland and Spain donated 50.000 euro each.

Following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, a Committee on Missing Persons was set up in the early 1980s to deal with this humanitarian issue. Hundreds of Greek Cypriots have been missing since 1974. Turkish Cypriots have been missing since the early 1960s, when intercommunal fighting broke out.

To date, remains which could belong to over 460 individuals have been exhumed and 108 returned to the families concerned, the announcement adds. Since 2006 Ankara has donated over 300,000 dollars. The government of the Republic of Cyprus has also donated well over one million dollars since 2005 to the CMP, a tripartite committee comprising a representative from the Greek Cypriot and a representative of the Turkish Cypriot communities and a third member, appointed by the UN.

[03] G/C - T/C PARTIES - CYPRUS ISSUE

Party leaders or representatives met Wednesday at Ledra Palace for their regular meeting, under the auspices of the embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nicosia.

According to a joint communique, the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot political parties expressed opinions on the issue: How political parties can help the two leaders in order to accelerate the full-fledged negotiations, as proposed by the hosting party the Turkish Cypriot Social Democratic Party.

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