Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-07-01

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From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

THURSDAY 1 JULY 1999

[01] HEADLINES

[02] KASOULIDES

[03] DAME ANN MISSING

[04] RANTZAU

[05] PAPANDREOU CEM

[06] GERMANY OCALAN

[07] CYPRUS GREECE AGREE

[08] HARASSMENT

[09] AKAMAS DEMONSTRATIONS

[10] WEATHER

[01] HEADLINES

--- UN Representative, Dame Ann Hercus, dismissed allegations that she had acted to remove paragraphs from UN resolutions.

--- Greece said today that a meeting in New York between Greek and Turkish Foreign Ministers was a step towards easing tension.

--- Greece and Cyprus today signed an agreement, promoting cooperation in the economic and commercial sectors.

AND

--- Residents of the Akamas area demonstrated today against restrictions on the use of their private property.

[02] KASOULIDES

Mr Kasoulides described as serious the effort launched by the Group of Eight, but expressed fears regarding its possible failure.

In an interview with the CyBC, Mr Kasoulides said that the Government was optimistic about the initiative of the UN chief and the G8, adding that optimism means will.

Referring to the forthcoming Greco-Turkish dialogue, Mr Kasoulides said that improving relations between the two countries would also help efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.

He added, however, that relations would improve, depending on the Cyprus problem.

Mr Kasoulides also said that Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, would participate in talks, but did not elaborate on what he thought Mr Denktash's stance would be.

[03] DAME ANN MISSING

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Kasoulides, asked Dame Ann to explain herself on the issue.

She said that she hand not interfered in any way, and that Mr Kasoulides had accepted her explanation.

However, Mr Kasoulides told the CyBC today that he had no reason not to believe Dame Ann, but also pointed out that he had no reason not to believe the UN Security Council, which said that Dame Ann had interfered.

Government Spokesman, Costas Serezis, said today that the Government was not satisfied, and awaits further clarification on who acted and why, in removing the reference to missing persons from the resolution.

[04] RANTZAU

Mr Rantzau met this morning with President Glafcos Clerides, and yesterday with Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash.

Speaking after his meeting with President Clerides, Mr Rantzau said that the President told him that if and when the UN Secretary-General invites the two sides to talks, then he would examine the invitation positively.

The President also told Mr Rantzau that he would accept the invitation, if the circumstances were ripe.

Commenting on Mr Denktash's position that he would participate in talks on the basis of two states, Mr Rantzau said that it is usual to take extreme positions before an invitation.

[05] PAPANDREOU CEM

The Papandreou-Cem meeting yesterday at the United Nations brought an agreement to start talks on five issues that offer hope of finding common ground -- tourism, the environment, cultural questions, crime and terrorism, and trade.

The talks, between senior officials of their ministries, are expected to be held in both countries and to take place before the end of July.

Both Mr Papandreou and Mr Cem acknowledged that the topics discussed did not include most of the hot issues that have long bedeviled their relations, such as Cyprus and territorial disputes in the Aegean.

Both ministers said they had agreed to enhance their cooperation on multilateral issues concerning the Balkans and the Black Sea.

Terrorism will be the most difficult issue on the agreed agenda as Ankara has accused Athens of harbouring and training PKK separatist guerrillas, something Greece has repeatedly denied.

In Cyprus, Government Spokesman, Costas Serezis, said that Nicosia views the meeting positively, but stressed that it would be judged by its results.

On the Cyprus problem, Mr Cem was negative on resuming talks to solve the matter, adding that Ankara objected to the recent UN resolutions.

[06] GERMANY OCALAN

Assailants set 12 cars on fire at a Turkish used-car dealer in the town of Tuttlingen near Stuttgart, causing 150,000 marks in damages. No one was injured.

In another attack in Stuttgart, assailants threw Molotov cocktails at a Turkish shop and apartment house. Police said they detained four Kurdish suspects.

Germany has the largest Turkish population outside the Middle East and authorities have been bracing for a violent reaction to the Ocalan verdict for months.

In Erkrath near Duesseldorf a Turkish grocery store was hit by firebombs and several Turkish cafes in small towns near Bonn were also attacked.

There were no injuries reported.

In the northern town of Hagen, a Turkish import-export business was hit and in Dortmund, two Kurds were detained after throwing Molotov cocktails at a Turkish tea house.

[07] CYPRUS GREECE AGREE

The pact was signed by Minister of Finance, Takis Klirides, Greek Finance Undersecretary, Georgios Dris.

It provides for a specific legal framework to implement customs procedures, so as to combat illegal activities and smuggling.

Mr Klirides said that economic relations between Greece and Cyprus are developing in a satisfactory manner.

Mr Dris said that the pact strengthens the relations of the two countries.

This morning, Mr Dris was received by President Glafcos Clerides, with whom he discussed the economic and commercial relations of Greece and Cyprus.

[08] HARASSMENT

The man is Andreas Kramvis, 38, from the village of Alethriko, now a resident of Ormidia.

The Police investigator told the court that there had been many complaints recently of harassment of girls in the Ormidia area.

On Saturday, the suspect harassed a 6-year-old girl in the sea, and was later arrested.

The suspect said that he did not remember any of the assaults.

In the past, Kramvis was reported to have harassed his own children.

The court ordered he be detained for eight days to help investigations.

[09] AKAMAS DEMONSTRATIONS

The restrictions were imposed as a measure to protect the environment.

A delegation of residents handed over a memorandum with their demands to President Glafcos Clerides, who said he would try to solve the problem.

The demonstrators also gathered outside the House of Representatives, where they handed a memorandum to acting House President, Nicos Anastasiades.

Tension rose when the demonstrators tried to enter the building, but things soon calmed down.

[10] WEATHER

Winds will be variable, light, two to three beaufort, in the morning. In the afternoon there will be moderate seabreeze of three to four beaufort.

The sea will be slight to moderate in windward areas, in the afternoon.

The temperature will reach 35 degrees inland, 30 on the coast, and 27 over the mountains.

The fire hazard is very high in all forest areas.

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