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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 09-02-07
CONTENTS
[01] UN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE - SHIP - CYPRUS
[02] HOUSE OF COMMONS - REPORT ON CYPRUS
[01] UN SANCTIONS COMMITTEE - SHIP - CYPRUS
The UN Sanctions Committee has given its reply to a request by the
Cypriot government for guidance regarding the Cypriot-flagged ship
``Monchegorsk``, which docked at Limassol port, allegedly carrying
weapons. The Committees reply was handed over last night to Cyprus UN
Permanent Representative Ambassador Minas Hadjimichael by Japanese
chairman of the Committee Ambassador Yukio Takasu.
It has been alleged that the Cypriot-flagged ship, of Russian
interests, which originated from Iran, was carrying arms and it was
forced by a US military vessel to dock at Limassol port to have its
cargo inspected, in order to establish whether there has been a breach
of UN Security Council sanctions, as claimed.
The Cyprus government has submitted to the UN Security Council
Sanctions Committee a report on the findings of two inspections of the
cargo of the ship, conducted on January 29 and February 2 by a team of
experts from the Republic of Cyprus. The Japanese presidency of the
Sanctions Committee examined the report on the findings of the
inspections of the cargo of ship and handed over its response.
[02] HOUSE OF COMMONS - REPORT ON CYPRUS
The British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee urges the
British government to find a way of dissolving the negative image it
has among the Greek Cypriots. In its report on its July Visit to
Cyprus, published Friday, the Committee states that since the Turkish
invasion against Cyprus in the summer of 1974 there has been a
perception among Greek Cypriots that the UK is not even handed in its
dealings with Cyprus. Some Greek Cypriots blame Britain more than the
US for the current state of Cyprus. They feel Britain has never
forgiven Cyprus for its liberation struggle.
The paradox is that Cypriots love Great Britain, they send their
children to be educated there, they use its health service, but they
are deeply suspicious of its foreign policy. The British Government
needs to find a way of dissolving this negative image which goes back
to the 1950s, the report adds.
The report, which also refers to the Cyprus issue and the efforts to
solve it, notes that there is still widespread optimism that a deal is
achievable. The current talks are widely seen as the best opportunity
to resolve the Cyprus problem for a generation. Equally, if the talks
fail, it is unlikely that another credible attempt will be made for
many years to come, it adds. The leaders of the two communities (Greek
Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot) are both committed to finding a solution
and this process is different from last time, it is generated within
Cyprus, the report says.
On the timescale of an agreement, it says that the real deadline is
probably the last week in July 2009, the start of the summer holidays.
By then the talks will have to have shown substantial progress and look
like an irreversible process. It notes that some issues are relatively
easy like how to run the economy of the newly unified island, how tax
will be levied and how to manage relations with the EU.`` Other issues,
it adds, like security and property are much more contentious.
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