Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-04-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece says will continue to be at Cyprus' side, after referendum

[02] Main opposition leader says reaffirms solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism

[03] Minister urges Armenians to seek acknowledgment of genocide

[04] Greece says will continue to be at Cyprus' side, after referendum

[05] Communist party says will stand by the side of Greek and Turkish

[06] Main opposition leader says reaffirms solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism

[07] Cyprus president says measures for Turkish-Cypriots to be announced at

[08] Weather Forecast: Cloudy, with intermittent rain on Monday

[09] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers and storms on Sunday

[10] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

[01] Greece says will continue to be at Cyprus' side, after referendum

The Greek government reiterated that it will continue to be where it's always been - at Cyprus' side - offering its support, after the announcement of the results of the referenda on a UN plan to settle the Cyprus problem on Saturday.

Government Spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos in a press statement said:

''After Lucerne and in light of today's referendum, all political forces in Cyprus and Greece took a position regarding the Plan of the UN Secretary General. Today, the people of Cyprus made their decision, which of course we will all respect.

''In a few days a new period begins. Cyprus officially joins the European Union and begins its European course as full-fledged member. Within the EU framework, it will be in everyone's interests to continue rapprochement efforts between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots.

''The Greek government reiterates today that Greece will continue to be where it always has been - by Cyprus' side - offering its support. We will face the new situation, in cooperation with the Cypriot government. We will persue in keeping open the process of finding a definitive resolution to Cyprus' political problem.''

[02] Main opposition leader says reaffirms solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism

Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader George Papandreou commenting Saturday evening on the results of the Cyprus referenda said that his party reaffirms its solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism.

''We have stated from the very first moment and we reaffirm today our solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism. The vote of the Greek Cypriots is respected'', Papandreou said in a statement.

''We call on the international community as well as our EU partners not to hastily adopt as obvious the interpretation that the result of the referendum constitutes the rejection of a vision for a reunited Cyprus,'' he said.

''No Greek can accept that the Cyprus issues closes today. I believe that it can be resolved. The occupation should end. Cyprus should be reunited in a bizonal, bicommunal federation within the framework of UN and EU resolutions,'' he added.

The Cyprus issue, Papandreou said, will be at the centre of Greece's foreign policy and will affect Greek-Turkish relations.

He also called on the government to take new initiatives on the issue.

[03] Minister urges Armenians to seek acknowledgment of genocide

Armenians should continue their endeavour to seek acknowledgment of the 1915 genocide of their people by Turkey, Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said on Sunday.

Attending a commemoration event for the genocide, Pavlopoulos said that the international community should move in the same direction, exercising greater pressure on Turkey's leaders.

Parliament speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki said that forgetfulness about the issue should be combatted, regardless of whether it stemmed from ignorance or expediency, in order to help avert other instances.

The event to commemorate the Armenian genocide was arranged under the aegis of Athens prefecture authorities.

[04] Greece says will continue to be at Cyprus' side, after referendum

The Greek government reiterated that it will continue to be where it's always been - at Cyprus' side - offering its support, after the announcement of the results of the referenda on a UN plan to settle the Cyprus problem on Saturday.

Government Spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos in a press statement said:

''After Lucerne and in light of today's referendum, all political forces in Cyprus and Greece took a position regarding the Plan of the UN Secretary General. Today, the people of Cyprus made their decision, which of course we will all respect.

''In a few days a new period begins. Cyprus officially joins the European Union and begins its European course as full-fledged member. Within the EU framework, it will be in everyone's interests to continue rapprochement efforts between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots.

''The Greek government reiterates today that Greece will continue to be where it always has been - by Cyprus' side - offering its support. We will face the new situation, in cooperation with the Cypriot government. We will persue in keeping open the process of finding a definitive resolution to Cyprus' political problem.''

[05] Communist party says will stand by the side of Greek and Turkish Cypriots

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said on Saturday that it will continue to be at the side of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, after the results of a referendum on a UN plan to resolve the Cyprus problem were announced.

''The Cypriot people, with the sweeping majority of a 'NO' vote, rejected the Annan plan,'' Orestis Kolozov, member of the KKE political bureau said in a statement. ''The powerful 'no' constitutes a strong asset for the Cypriots in any future solution-seeking processes for a federal, bi-zonal and bi-communal Cyprus; a demilitarised Cyprus, without foreign bases and guarantor powers,'' he added.

Greek Cypriots rejected the UN plan with an overwhelming majority of 75,83 per cent while 64,91 per cent of Turkish Cypriots voted 'yes'.

''KKE will continue to be at the side of the people of Cyprus - Greek and Turkish Cypriots - in their struggle to ward off foreign intervention and to open the road for a just solution that will benefit all citizens of the island,'' Kolozov concluded.

[06] Main opposition leader says reaffirms solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism

Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader George Papandreou commenting Saturday evening on the results of the Cyprus referenda said that his party reaffirms its solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism.

''We have stated from the very first moment and we reaffirm today our solidarity with Cypriot Hellenism. The vote of the Greek Cypriots is respected'', Papandreou said in a statement.

''We call on the international community as well as our EU partners not to hastily adopt as obvious the interpretation that the result of the referendum constitutes the rejection of a vision for a reunited Cyprus,'' he said.

''No Greek can accept that the Cyprus issues closes today. I believe that it can be resolved. The occupation should end. Cyprus should be reunited in a bizonal, bicommunal federation within the framework of UN and EU resolutions,'' he added.

The Cyprus issue, Papandreou said, will be at the centre of Greece's foreign policy and will affect Greek-Turkish relations.

He also called on the government to take new initiatives on the issue.

[07] Cyprus president says measures for Turkish-Cypriots to be announced at EU

NICOSIA (ANA - G. Leonidas) Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos on Sunday said his government will announce measures enabling Turkish Cypriots to enjoy the benefits of the island's entry into the European Union at Monday's EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

Speaking to the foreign press one day after Greek Cypriots rejected a UN plan for a comprehensive settlement in a nationwide referendum, Papadopoulos stressed that a set of measures which the European Commission intended to announce tomorrow should be given to the Turkish Cypriots only.

While ruling out a new round of talks for a solution in the next weeks as unlikely, noting that people needed time to reflect and analyse what went wrong, Papadopoulos said that there will be a new initiative and that ''we all want talks under UN auspices''.

He said he wanted to start negotiations on a limited number of issues which do not necessarily take away the rights of Turkish Cypriots, noting that the Annan Plan would not fade or disappear.

Papadopoulos called on Greek Cypriot political parties to include Turkish Cypriots in their candidate lists for the European Parliament elections in June.

He also explained that the Greek-Cypriot no did not reject a solution to the Cyprus problem but the specific UN plan.

The Cyprus president, who had urged Cypriots to vote against the plan, said that it did not address the concerns of Greek Cypriots.

He claimed that the UN Secretary-General had preferred to satisfy the demands of the Turkish-Cypriot side that were outside the framework of his plan but had failed to satisfy demands of the Greek-Cypriots that lay within its parameters.

Papadopoulos also denied that a climate of fear had been cultivated in the Greek-Cypriot community, stressing that all views had been heard equally in an open dialogue.

The Cyprus president said that he was prepared to accept the presence of any international force on Cyprus for as long as was necessary, whatever its composition, regardless of the countries and organisations that made it up.

At the same time, he noted that the main objection to the Annan plan was not the numbers of Turkish occupation troops that remained but that Turkey would be given powers to intervene in both the states created under the plan, while pointing out that UN guarantees had not prevented the Turkish invasion in 1974.

Papadopoulos also stressed that the Annan plan had not included his own request for a mechanism to check justification for exercising such rights of intervention.

Regarding the comments made by EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, who claimed to have been misled by the Greek-Cypriots, Papadopoulos admitted that these had been damaging for himself and the Greek-Cypriot side.

He noted, however, that neither he nor his predecessor president Glafcos Clerides had ever promised to accept any specific plan.

''The only promise we made at Helsinki was that, in exchange for Cyprus' accession without a solution to the Cyprus problem, was that the government would not raise obstacles to efforts to find a solution,'' he said.

He announced that his government would begin a campaign to show that the positions of the Greek Cypriot side were neither arbitrary nor unjustified.

Papadopoulos stressed that his goal was not to deny the Turkish Cypriots their rights:

''It is accepted that no side can impose its will on the other, but at the same time no side can have the right to raise obstacles and prevent the taking of decisions so as to paralyse and dismantle the state,'' he stressed.

[08] Weather Forecast: Cloudy, with intermittent rain on Monday

Cloudy weather with intermittent rainfall and storms to the west and south is forecast for Monday. Winds easterly, moderate to strong, rising to very strong in the south. Temperatures in Athens from 14C to 19C and in Thessaloniki between 13C and 18C.

[09] Weather Forecast: Cloud, showers and storms on Sunday

Cloudy weather with local showers and storms in the west and south is forecast for Sunday. Winds south southeasterly, light to moderate, rising to strong or very strong in the south. Temperatures in Athens from 12C to 20C and in Thessaloniki between 12C and 18C.

[10] Foreign Exchange Rates: Monday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.198

Pound sterling 0.675

Danish kroner 7.501

Swedish kroner 9.210

Japanese yen 130.5

Swiss franc 1.572

Norwegian kroner 8.303

Cyprus pound 0.591

Canadian dollar 1.623

Australian dollar 1.635

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