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Friday, 19 April 2024
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 99-09-13Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 1999 [01] CLER DEPARTPresident of the Republic Galfkos Clerides is leaving for Athens at four o'clock this afternoon, for talks with the Greek Government prior to going to New York.Immediately after his arrival in Athens, President Clerides will meet with his Greek counterpart Costis Stephanopoulos, while a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis has been scheduled for tomorrow. On Thursday, Cyprus' President will go on to New York, where he will have contacts on the Cyprus Issue and also address the autumn session of the UN General Assembly. [02] CLER PRESSER 1Meanwhile, during a televised press conference given last night, President Clerides voiced the assessment that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will, by the end of this month, invite the two sides involved in the Cyprus Issue to direct talks.Giving the assurance that he is determined to proceed in ways ensuring, as much as possible, a successful outcome of the planned initiative, Cyprus' President also noted the need for careful handling of the matter, so that the Greek-Cypriot side does not appear negative as regards the entire process. He did, however, make clear that the Greek-Cypriot side is not willing to attend proximity talks, but only direct ones. If, he added, a stalemate is reached during the holding of direct talks, a short recess could be called in order to hold separate consultations with the two sides, something which also happened in the past. [03] CLER PRESSER 2Referring to the involvement of the US and Britain in the Cyprus Issue, the President of the Republic disclosed that the two countries have already drawn up scenaria for a solution, adding that the Cyprus Government has not been briefed on their content.What is known, President Clerides went on to say, is that the US scenario provides for an active European participation in any negotiations, since they do not wish to block Cyprus' prospective accession to the EU. In closing, Cyprus' President also mentioned that the world body at large is in acceptance of the Greek-Cypriot side's suggestions for the demilitarisation of the island and the return of a large number of displaced persons to their homes under Greek-Cypriot administration. [04] PRESPAL CLAYBritain's High Commissioner to Cyprus, Edward Clay, stated today that the aim of both his country and the G8 countries in general, as well as that of the UN Security Council, is the realisation of direct talks on the Cyprus Issue.Following a morning meeting with the President of the Republic, High Commissioner Clay added that his country is focusing its attention not only on the constitutional aspects of the problem, but on all faces of the Cyprus Issue. The British High Commissioner further refuted information that his government has already drafted a scenario on the problem, but did concede that certain ideas and thoughts have been formulated. At the same time, he added, what is more important are the ideas to be brought to the negotiating table by the two sides themselves, with the UN Security Council playing a facilitatory role. High Commissioner Clay also disclosed that Britain's Special Representative for Cyprus, Sir David Hannay, will be meeting Cyprus' President and Foreign Minister during their stay in New York. [05] DENK INTRAN'CEUS efforts to bend the expressed intransigence of Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash continued in New York last night, but to no avail.Reliable sources mentioned that during separate meetings with US presidential emissary Alfred Moses and US State Department Special Co-ordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston, Mr Denktash reiterated that the only form of negotiations acceptable to him would be those held on a two-state basis. Commenting on the matter, Presidential Emissary Moses said that more meetings between the Turkish-Cypriot leader and US officials have been scheduled for today, noting that the ultimate aim is to bring the two sides involved in the dispute to face-to-face talks. Meanwhile, our New York correspondent reported that US officials are stalwartly rejecting the setting of any preconditions by Mr Denktash, suggesting instead that he first attend the proposed talks and then raise any issue he desires. [06] PAP-CEMThe Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, George Papandreou and Ismail Cem, held a private meeting in Brussels last night, in view of today's resumption of the EU-Turkey political dialogue in the Belgian capital.In statements after the meeting, Mssrs Papandreou and Cem mentioned that they discussed ways of dealing with the consequences of the earthquakes which recently struck their respective countries, and also ascertained that the mutual assistance extended to each other has led to an improvement of greco-turkish relations. [07] RUSSIA BLASTRussian President Boris Yeltsin today ordered extra security measures in key cities and at nuclear power stations, oil depots and other sensitive sites throughout the country, after a bomb blast destroyed a Moscow block of flats.Interfax news agency quoted President Yeltsin as saying, at a meeting of top security officials, that the tough security measures would be introduced in the next few hours. The blast, described by officials as a "terrorist attack" and coming after two similar explosions in as many weeks, occured early this morning and completely destroyed an eight-story apartment building, killing at least 34 people. The latest explosion fuelled rumours that the Kremlin is planning to introduce a state of emergency in Moscow and other parts of Russia, a move that would cast into doubt a parliamentary election scheduled for December. However, a Kremlin source told Reuters that the upcoming elections were not discussed during today's meeting. [08] US OPEN MEN'SAndre Agassi turned up the power in the last two sets to overcome a tenacious Todd Martin and win the US Open Tennis championship in a surprisingly tough, five-set struggle last night, raising his game to new heights after losing a pair of tiebreakers, and beating his fellow American by 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3 and 6-2.Martin faded physically by the end of the 3-hour, 23-minute battle of 29-year-olds, missing his best shot yet at notching a first Grand Slam title. Few had figured Martin to be much of a match for Agassi, who completed a career Grand Slam this year by winning the French Open and securing his ascension to world number one by beating third seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the semifinals. [09] WEATHERThe weather will be generally fair this afternoon, but skies will be marked by isolated cloud, with the possibility of scattered showers over the mountains. Winds will be moderate to strong sea-breezes, 4-5BF, on moderate seas, while temperatures are not expected to exceed 32C inland, 31C along the south coast, 28C in the west and 23C at higher altitudes.Generally fair conditions are also forecast for tonight, with mist and low cloud also forecast in coastal regions. Winds will settle to light westerlies, 3BF, gusting to moderate, 4BF, on slight to moderate seas. Temperatures will drop to 20C inland and along the coasts, and to 15C on the higher reaches of the Troodos mountains. The fire hazard is extremely high in all forest areas. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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