Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 99-07-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] Clerides - Portuguese minister - Cyprus - EU

[02] Clerides - Spanish Secretary of State

1100:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Clerides - Portuguese minister - Cyprus - EU

Speaking after meeting President Glafcos Clerides, da Costa said the idea of his visit to Cyprus was to present the Portuguese presidency of the EU, which will start in January 2000.

He said "enlargement is at the top of the agenda of the Union nowadays and it will also be at the top of the agenda during the Portuguese presidency."

The Portuguese official said the message he took to President Clerides and yesterday to Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides was Portugal's support to the Cypriot accession to the EU and "in particularly our full interest in not seeing the political problem existing on this island to be an obstacle for the full implementation of the negotiating process."

Da Costa said the "political question is at the end of the road but it is not a question that could create any kind of obstacle for this process", adding that it is Portugal's "intention to pursue this line" in its presidency.

The Portuguese State Secretary said in the year 2000, a date for the accession will be defined.

He added however "it is not yet clear whether conditions are creative for the definition of the date, but there are great possibilities that during 2000 a definition of the date for the first enlargement will take place, maybe during the Portuguese presidency."

Da Costa continues his visit with meetings with Cypriot officials. He departs from Cyprus tomorrow.

Cyprus, along with Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, began substantive accession negotiations with the EU in November 1998.

CNA MK/EC/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1410:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Clerides - Spanish Secretary of State

After meeting Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, the Spanish official said "the only problem that we all have and is not only the problem of Cyprus but the problem of the international community and the European Union is the fact that we have this prerequisite to have both north (Turkish Cypriot) and the other part of Cyprus (Greek Cypriot) together in the negotiations".

The Spanish official said he will meet next Monday, in the occupied areas, the Turkish Cypriot leadership to express "our strong resolve in terms of having a solution for Cyprus according to the lines expressed in the resolutions of the United Nations".

"We will put pressure on them to make a gesture and be positive in coming talks that will open in autumn", he added and expressed his strong belief that "coming months offer a window of opportunity for achieving that goal that we all have of having a federal, bicommunal, bizonal solution for Cyprus."

De Miguel noted that at the end of the year the European Council that will meet in Elsinki will make a new re-assessment of the enlargement process and as he said "we strongly hope that the Cyprus problem will evolve in a positive way so that we can reaffirm the process of incorporating Cyprus into the European Union".

He expressed the opinion that "it is important for all European partners to come here to see the kind of problems and have the opportunity of listening to the representatives of the Republic of Cyprus and also of the north (occupied areas) of Cyprus".

CNA MK/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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