By Jean Christou and Martin Hellicar
House President Spyros Kyprianou left Cyprus yesterday on a personal mission to bring back three U.S. soldiers held captive by Serb forces in Yugoslavia.
The three soldiers – Staff Sgt Andrew Ramirez, 24, Staff Sgt Christopher Stone, 25, and Specialist Steven Gonzales, 24, – were captured by Serb forces on the Macedonia border on April 1.
Kyprianou asked the Americans for a 24-hour Nato cease-fire to safely complete his mission to the Yugoslav capital, Belgrade, but it did not materialise.
The Diko leader was advised by the United States not to travel to Belgrade last night as he had planned, because Nato was continuing two-week old air strikes against Serb targets, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation said from Athens.
He will fly on a Greek plane to Belgrade today, a Greek cabinet minister, who requested anonymity, said. The minister added: “(Kyprianou) stopped in Athens because Serbian airspace is not safe after sunset because of the Nato bombings.”
Earlier, U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin told CNN: “It is my understanding the Greek government working with the Cypriots is intending to arrange for a transport to Belgrade on Thursday.
“Our embassy in Greece informed us that arrangements are being made for the safe and secure passage of this plane.”
He said Washington would welcome its soldiers’ release, “but our view is that this release has to be unconditional.”
Kyprianou flew to Athens yesterday and had been due to fly to Belgrade the same day.
Announcing his intentions earlier in the day, Kyprianou told journalists the objective of his trip was to prepare the ground and conclude an arrangement with regard to the release of the three American prisoners, whom he would bring to Cyprus and hand over to the American authorities.
“My mission is purely humanitarian. I think it is something that nobody could object to… the indications are that this mission will succeed. I am confident about it,” he said.
The shock announcement by the House President came shortly after a meeting in Nicosia with U.S. embassy chargé d’affaires Deborah Graze. UN ambassador Kenneth Brill was abroad, but an embassy official said he had been informed, and that, if Kyprianou was successful, he would return to Cyprus immediately.
“I have discussed and conveyed to the U.S. the purpose of my mission and I requested the halting of bombings and hostilities for at least 24 hours so that I can conclude my mission and bring the three prisoners to Cyprus,” Kyprianou said.
Kyprianou secured the blessings of the Cyprus government for his trip but was not accompanied by any representative of the Yugoslav embassy in Nicosia, a spokesman there confirmed.
The move by Kyprianou, who is currently Acting President of the Republic in the absence of Glafcos Clerides, has been welcomed by Washington, but there was little to indicate it would agree to halt air attacks.
“It’s doubtful,” a U.S. embassy source in Nicosia predicted early in the day.
Kyprianou said he believed it was only reasonable to expect that while he was in Belgrade “for this purely humanitarian mission” the question of his safety and that of the American prisoners be considered.
Government sources told the Cyprus Mail it was likely “some arrangement” would be made to facilitate Kyprianou’s trip.
Kyprianou told journalists that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic had stated his willingness to release the three Americans as a gesture of good will.
Political observers believe the move is designed to assist the Serbian President to secure a respite from Nato air attacks for the Orthodox Easter this Sunday.
But Kyprianou said Milosevic had not set any preconditions for the release of the three soldiers.
Before leaving from Larnaca Airport, Kyprianou said he would be meeting Milosevic, but where and when would not be determined until his arrival.
“I believe, I hope my mission will succeed. If it does, I think it will help improve the climate, it will satisfy the American people who are very worried about the three captives and it will be proof of the Yugoslav president’s commitment to peaceful processes,” Kyprianou said.
Kyprianou has the full support of the Cyprus government for his mission. Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said the government would give Kyprianou every possible help in his humanitarian mission. “It would be a particulary important development for Cyprus,” he said.
The British bases said they had not yet had any requests for help from the U.S., such as the possible use of Akrotiri, but would be willing to help if asked.
