Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-05-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] ARCHBISHOP - OCCUPIED CHURCHES - BRUSSELS

[02] MIKE RANN - SUPPORT FOR CYPRUS

[01] ARCHBISHOP - OCCUPIED CHURCHES - BRUSSELS

Speaking before leaving for Brussels, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Chrucrh of Cyprus also said both he and the head of Turkish Cypriot religious affairs wish to have informal meetings in a calm and friendly climate as we believe we can achieve more this way, instead of bringing things into the limelight.

I will convey to my interlocutors that Cyprus wants to see human rights respected, and have religion and religious and cultural heritage respected, he said on his way to Brussels to attend a meeting of religious leaders, representing different denominations, hosted by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pettering and current European Council president, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He said there are 500 churches in the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus which have to be respected just as Turkish Cypriot religious sites are respected in the government-controlled southern part of the island.

Responding to questions, he said the meeting will deal with respect of different religions, in relation to the European rules and regulations.

Europe, he pointed out, is sensitive to human rights and wants to consolidate democracy, love and mutual help.

On church matters, he said the Holy Synod, the top decision making body in the autocephalous church of Cyprus, will meet on 22 May to deal with a programme to expand the Synod. By July the Holy Synod will function in full bench, he added.

[02] MIKE RANN - SUPPORT FOR CYPRUS

My support for the Justice for Cyprus cause is not negotiable and that is also the case for my government. I am very proud that we are the only government in the world outside of Cyprus that is actually sponsoring and funding cases before the ECHR in Strasbourg on behalf of 15 families in my state who of course, they are refugees and lost their lands and possessions, Rann stressed. He stressed that we all want to see justice for Cyprus. No one is condemning or in any way acting against Turkish people. We have a very strong Turkish population as well as Greek and Greek Cypriot population in Australia and we must respect the human rights of all peoples. But basic to human rights is of course recognition of international law.

He added that it is Turkey and the illegal regime that are breaking international law with the continued occupation. I think that it is encouraging that Turkey wants to be a member of the EU but it has to abide by European laws and European values if it wants its case to be taken seriously. Turkey was a signatory to the EHRC but as soon as a decision went against it, it condemned the Court, he said, stressing that Turkey cant have it both ways, he added. If it wants to be a member of the EU it must adopt European values and abide by European law and international law, Rann stressed.

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