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10 February, 1999
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas again stressed yesterday that the Russian-made S-300 missiles purchased by Cyprus will be deployed in eastern Crete. He said technical details of the S-300s' installation would be discussed next week when a Cypriot delegation and a representative of the Greek foreign ministry travel to Moscow.
Reppas clarified that the missiles would remain in the ownership of the Cyprus Republic, while Greece would control the operation of the weapons system and pay for its operating cost. He said the governments of Greece and Cyprus would jointly decide how to make optimum use of the S-300 missiles but declined to say when the missiles would be installed in Crete.
National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos and his Cypriot counterpart Yiannakis Chrysostomis were expected during talks in Athens yesterday and today to sign a memorandum providing for deployment of the missiles in Crete.
Nicosia had originally ordered the missiles for deployment on Cyprus but cancelled the procurement amidst fears that it might jeopardize ongoing European Union accession negotiations.
Following Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides' decision in late December not to go ahead with the procurement, Greece said it would be willing to install the missiles on Crete.
Source: Athens News Agency
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