[01] US high ranking official arrives today
Nicosia, Jan 12 (CNA) -- Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs at the US State Department, Carey Cavanaugh, is expected to arrive on the island early tonight, in an effort to reduce tension caused by the Cyprus government's announcement it will purchase Russian surface-to-air missiles.
Cavanaugh will meet Monday morning with President Glafcos Clerides and Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides. He will later meet Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.
Late on Monday Cavanaugh will fly to Athens, where he will remain until Wednesday, and will then travel on to Ankara until next Friday.
According to today's Greek Cypriot press reports, Cavanaugh is expected to ask the Cyprus government to withhold the purchase of the anti-aircraft missiles and will reiterate a US proposal for a moratorium of Greek and Turkish fighters overflights in Cyprus.
The proposal was originally put forward by the designated US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, during a visit here last summer, in her capacity as the then US Permanent Representative to the UN. It was then taken up by Cavanaugh as well as the UN.
According to State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns, during his talks with officials in the region, Cavanaugh will try to advance ''concrete actions to reduce tension'' as well as ''overall military activities.''
Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.
CNA AP/MA/1997
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
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