Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-04-20

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM tells press conference Annan plan basis for negotiating Cyprus issue

[02] Simitis meets with Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot leaders here

[03] Weather Monday -- Mostly sunny

[04] Greek PM tells Cypriot House that solution a prerequisite for peace,

[01] PM tells press conference Annan plan basis for negotiating Cyprus issue

NICOSIA (ANA - G. Leonidas/CNA) - Visiting Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, heading delegations of the two countries, agreed in talks here on Saturday that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus constitutes a basis for negotiating, provided certain adjustments are made to some of its points to enable them to be compatible with the acquis communautaire.

Speaking at a joint press conference after his talks with President Papadopoulos, Simitis said that Greece and Cyprus are seeking improvements to a UN peace proposal on a comprehensive settlement to render the state that would emerge more functional.

Simitis expressed the view that a strong Cyprus, within the EU, would help the Republic deal more effectively with other issues that

concern it.

Asked if certain provisions in the UN proposal have actually been

overtaken by events, through the accession of Cyprus to the EU,

Simitis said that ''each day creates some new circumstances that must

be taken into consideration but it would be rather risky to say that

now one or the other provision cannot be applied.''

''Nonetheless I believe that the possibilities are now better'' than

in the past, he added.

Asked how the UN peace proposal can become more compatible with the

acquis communautaire, Simitis said ''the plan is a basis for

negotiations, some issues are regulated in such a way that we believe

should be improved to render the solution more viable and make the

state function more effectively.''

''We believe that there could be an improvement of arrangements

relating to the implementation of the acquis communautaire and as we

have said in the past, we shall seek in any future negotiations to

have such improvements,'' Simitis explained.

Improved application of the acquis communautaire will ensure better

integration of Cyprus into EU processes, he explained, stressing that

''this is why we want an adjustment of the solutions to the acquis

communautaire.''

''One must not think that a system can work within the EU if this

system does not have the same principles, the same arrangements and

the same directions as those of the EU,'' Simitis explained.

''I would like to point out that as of Wednesday (when Cyprus signed

the Accession Treaty in Athens) there are plenty of problems that

affect Cyprus, relate to the EU, which will play a role in

formulating a policy of Cyprus which should concern us all, such as

funds, resources and labour policy,'' Simitis noted.

[02] Simitis meets with Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot leaders here

NICOSIA (ANA) - Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis met on Saturday with political party leaders from both sides of the 'green line' in Europe's only remaining divided capital -- Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots -- to inaugurate his tour of more than two dozen European capitals in his capacity as president of the European Council.

The meeting took place at the residence of Greece's ambassador to Nicosia.

The premier said his visit here takes place in the framework of

preparations for the June EU summit in Thessaloniki, with Cyprus the first stop on his tour.

This was the first time Simitis met with Turkish Cypriot party leaders. All Greek Cypriot leaders of the eight parliamentary parties attended Saturday's meeting and a portion of the Turkish Cypriot party leaders.

National Unity Party leader Dervis Eroglu and Democratic Party presidetn Serdar Denktash, the son of T/C leader Rauf Denktash, declined Simitis' invitation to participate in the meeting.

Both are members of the self-styled regime in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Mehmet Ali Talat, leader

of the Republican Turkish Party; Huseyin Agolemli, the leader of the

Communal Liberation Party; Alpay Durduran, the leader of the Movement of Patriotic Unity; Izzet Izcan, of the United Cyprus party; Mehmet

Suleymanoglu of the Socialist Party and the so-called mayor of occupied Nicosia, as well as Kutlay Erk, of the Republican Turkish Party.

[03] Weather Monday -- Mostly sunny

Partly cloudy in western Greece on Monday, the first day of Orthodox Easter Week throughout the east Mediterranean country, with a chance of brief thunderstorms in the northwest. Sunny elsewhere. Northerly winds in the Aegean, moderate to very gusty at times before subsiding in the evening. Temperatures between 4C to 17C in the north; 7C to 21C on the rest of the mainland, and 10C to 18C on the islands.

Sunny in Athens; 10C to 20C. Mostly sunny in Thessaloniki, with a chance of rain in the evening; 8C to 17C.

[04] Greek PM tells Cypriot House that solution a prerequisite for peace, stability

NICOSIA (ANA) - Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Saturday called on Turkey to change its policy and proceed with a solution to the long-standing Cyprus problem if it desires to promote its European Union accession bid.

Simitis, addressing a special session of the Cypriot House of Representatives in the presence of more than 250 dignitaries, including ambassadors accredited to Nicosia, said a solution to the Cyprus issue is an essential precondition for peace and stability in the region.

The Greek prime minister said the failure of talks at The Hague was not the "end of the road", adding that there will be renewed efforts to achieve a solution to the political problem of Cyprus.

He further said that the historic signing of Cyprus' Accession Act with the EU -- which took place in Athens last Wednesday -- constitutes a success reflecting the efforts of all the people of Cyprus, as well as of the island republic's leadership over the past years.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Simitis said that while it had been an issue of inconvenience for the EU, its solution has now become a request of the Union itself.

Cyprus House of Representatives Speaker Demetris Christofias, who held 30-minute talks with Simitis, expressed the gratitude of the people and of the political leadership of island republic, adding that Simitis' visit to Cyprus underlines Athens' undiminishing interest and wholehearted solidarity for the people of Cyprus.

On the question of the east Mediterranean island's EU accession, Christofias said it opens a new era and prospects for its people and called on all to work hard for the implementation of harmonisation commitments.

Simitis was accompanied by Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos.

On his departure from the House, Simitis was approached by the relatives of peopple missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island, who briefed him on their issue and called for his assistance.

Simitis was set to meet the leaders of Greek and Turkish Cypriot parties at the residence of the Greek ambassador to Cyprus on Saturday afternoon.

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