Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-08-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] House President protests to Italian Parliament and Senate

[02] Commonwealth SG to visit Cyprus

1220:CYPPRESS:01

[01] House President protests to Italian Parliament and Senate

In his letters, Kyprianou expressed his "astonishment" on Lamberto Dini's "disturbing statements", made last Tuesday after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Ismael Cem, in Rome, noting that his statements "contravene international law as well as UN Security Council resolutions" on Cyprus.

Dini inter alia had stated "there two republics in Cyprus, there are two entities, there are two governments" and went further to suggest that this "fact" should be recognised by the European Union (EU).

UN resolutions stipulate that the government of the Republic of Cyprus is the only internationally recognised government and calls on all member- states not to facilitate or recognise the secessionist illegal entity unilaterally set up in the island's Turkish-occupied areas in November 1983.

In his letters, the House President also notes that Dini's comments are "outside the spirit of the resolution adopted last month by the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, with regard to the situation on Cyprus."

The statements, the letters added, "contradict the positions adopted by the EU at the highest level with regard to the situation in Cyprus as well as the commencement of accession negotiations between the Union and the Republic of Cyprus," early next year in accordance with an EU decision of March 1995.

Kyprianou expressed belief that Italian Parliamentarians will continue to uphold the principles of international law and support decisions taken by the EU on Cyprus.

He further called on them not to "condone any actions, even those taken inadvertently, which could create impediments to the restoration of human rights in Cyprus and the fulfillment of its European perspectives."

Kyprianou welcomed the statement by the Italian Premier, Romano Prodi, which rectified his Foreign Ministers remarks, but expressed concern with Dini's positions.

"This concern is accentuated by the fact that the statements were made soon after Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash destroyed any prospects for progress in the second round of face-to-face talks held in Switzerland under the auspices of the UN, and in a sensitive period leading to accession negotiations which will commence next year," he letters concluded.

Two rounds of UN-sponsored talks between President Glafcos Clerides and Denktash, held in the US in July and in Switzerland earlier this month, came to a stalemate because the Turkish Cypriot leader refused to negotiate until the EU withholds or postpones accession talks with Cyprus.

Meanwhile, the Italian Foreign Ministry issued a second announcement Thursday stating that the solution to the Cyprus problem should be based on UN resolutions, the Athens News Agency reported.

After continued reports in the Italian press slamming Dini for his statements, the announcement says both the Ministry and the Premier's office are "surprised" with reports that there is a rift between the Foreign Minister's and Italy's traditional position on Cyprus, that were later patched up.

It describes interpretations by the press as unfounded, taken that both Prodi's and Dini's position is that a solution to the Cyprus problem should be based on UN resolutions, which provide that a solution will take into consideration the wish of both communities of the island.

The Italian press has called Dini's statements a "gaffe" and a "rash", which created a crisis in relations between Rome and Athens, and made references to Italy's economic interests in Turkey.

They also suggested the Italian Foreign Minister is more interested in economics than politics.

CNA MA/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1420:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Commonwealth SG to visit Cyprus

During his visit to the island Anyaoku will also have a meeting and official talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

On Sunday, Chief Anyaokou, who will be accompanied by his wife Bunmi and Commonwealth Secretariat Assistant Director, Indrajit Coomaraswamy, will visit several interesting sights.

On Monday he will meet with President Clerides and House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou.

He will depart on Monday afternoon.

CNA KN/MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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