¡¡NICOSIA, July 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The Olympic torch arrives tomorrow in Cyprus, its last stop of its journey before returning to Greece, but will not pass through the northern Turkish-controlled part of the island as it was originally planned.

    The semi-official Cyprus News Agency (CNA) quoted ATHENS 2004 Marketing General Manager Georgios Bolos as syaing that the torch would not be passing through the "occupied areas" because the Turkish Cypriots have rejected a proposal made to them by the Committee.

    Speaking to a joint press conference with Cyprus Olympic Committee (COC) President Kikis Lazarides, Bolos said that the Athens 2004 Committee accepted a proposal made by the COC for the torch to pass through northern Cyprus and presented to the TurkishCypriots a proposal for a Torch relay of 3,5 kilometres in TurkishCypriot-controlled Nicosia with 10 Turkish Cypriot Torchbearers.

    "The Turkish Cypriots denied the passage of the torch on the conditions we set out to them" Bolos added, noting that the Organizing Committee did not set out any different conditions fromthose set out for the other cities the torch has travelled to.

    Lazarides said that it is a great honour for Cyprus the fact that the island will be the last stop of the torch relay before going back to Greece, the cradle of the Olympic Games and called on the people to attend the ceremonies welcoming the Torch.

    He noted that the torch, arriving in Cyprus from Sofia Bulgariawill receive a head of state welcome.

    Replying to questions, Lazarides said that his only concern in the case the torch travelled to northern Cyprus was for the Turkish Cypriot regime not to request from the people escorting the torch to present their passports.

    During its two-day stay in Cyprus, the torch will travel throughout the government-controlled areas. A Turkish Cypriot University of Cyprus lecturer Niazi Kisilgurek will be among the 145 torchbearers.

    Each city will organize brief events to welcome the torch. Theceremonies will culminate tomorrow night in Nicosia, in the centerof the old town of the divided capital, which will include the lighting of a cauldron by the final torchbearer Anninos Markoullides.

    The ceremony will be followed by a concert of Cypriot composer Marios Tokas, who will be accompanied by well-known Greek singers and choirs from all over Cyprus. Enditem