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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-03-18

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

  • [01]Tuesday, 18 March 2003 Verheugen: A great opportunity was missed because the new Turkish government was not in a position to exercise the necessary pressure on Mr Denktash
  • [02] House President: The success of any renewed effort to resolve the Cyprus issue depends on the United Nations decisive stance
  • [03] Minister briefs foreign ambassadors on the failure of the UN efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue

    [01] Verheugen: A great opportunity was missed because the new Turkish government was not in a position to exercise the necessary pressure on Mr Denktash

    The EU Commissioner for Enlargement Mr Gunter Verheugen made a reference to Cyprus, in his speech at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday. At the beginning of his speech, Mr Verheugen expressed the regret of the European Commission that the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem failed, and pointed out that a great opportunity had been missed "because the new Turkish government was not in a position to exercise the necessary pressure on Mr Denktash". While a settlement of the Cyprus problem was the preference of the European Union, Cyprus/ accession process would go ahead as scheduled, according to the existing timetable, he said. The Annan Plan remains on the table and the European Commission is ready to support any further effort for finding a solution, he added. The European Commissioner expressed solidarity with all Cypriots, acknowledged the courage with which the Turkish-Cypriots have expressed their European convictions and pledged that the Commission would continue to support projects that would benefit the two communities on the island, reduce economic disparities and build confidence between them. Mr Verheugen also expressed the view that the Cyprus issue would be raised again in 2004, when Turkey would be awaiting the progress report on its own bid to open EU membership talks, which is clearly linked with the solution of the Cyprus problem. If by the time of the report at the end of 2004 there is still no settlement on Cyprus, it would be very difficult to recommend starting accession negotiations with Turkey,| he said. Mr Verheugen said he believed that after the failure of the talks on the Cyprus problem and the signing of Cyprus/ EU Accession Treaty, the situation for the Turkish Cypriots and for Turkey itself would become more difficult. Stressing that the Annan Plan offered the best opportunity for a solution, he said he could not envisage how there could be any better terms, after Cyprus/ accession, for the Turkish Cypriot side. Concluding, Mr Verheugen said that the European Commission would do whatever it could to improve the position of the Turkish Cypriots, but noted the limitations of the existing situation.

    [02] House President: The success of any renewed effort to resolve the Cyprus issue depends on the United Nations decisive stance

    The President of the House of Representatives Mr Demetris Christofias underlined that the success of any renewed effort to resolve the Cyprus issue depends on the decisive stance that the United Nations will adopt towards the side that is responsible for the continuation of the deadlock. In a letter sent to the Presidents of the UN Security Council member states, the European Union member and candidate countries, as well as the Presidents of the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr Christofias refers to the failure of the UN efforts in The Hague to find a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem due to the Turkish side side's intransigent stance.| The Greek Cypriot side expects UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Security Council to blame Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and the Turkish government that fully supports him for the failure of the Cyprus talks in The Hague, he says. Pointing out President Papadopoulos' constructive stance at The Hague talks, which undoubtedly reflects the wish of the Greek Cypriot side to reunite the island and its people, he adds that by contrast the ''Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash continued his intransigent stance, rejecting not only a referendum among Turkish Cypriots but the whole of the proposed UN peace plan and stating, in addition, that the Turkish Cypriots are interested in a separate accession to the EU, at the same time with Turkey''. Mr Christofias also notes that despite the disappointment of the people of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the Greek Cypriot side will continue the hard effort for the promotion of a just and viable solution of the Cyprus problem based on the relevant UN resolutions. Concluding his letter the House President reassures his counterparts that the common dream of all Cypriots remains a united and peaceful Cyprus, member of the European Union, with all basic freedoms and human rights safeguarded.

    [03] Minister briefs foreign ambassadors on the failure of the UN efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Georgios Iacovou briefed, in the last few days, all the ambassadors of the UN Security Council member-states accredited to Cyprus, on the failure of the UN efforts, in The Hague, to resolve the Cyprus issue because of the Turkish side's negative stance. Mr Iacovou called upon the ambassadors' countries to contribute through the Security Council, to the attributing of responsibility on those responsible for the collapse of the Cyprus talks, namely on Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and on Turkey. The Minister also had meetings with the ambassadors of the EU member-states on the same issue. Moreover, Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Sotos Zackheos met with the Permanent Representatives of the UN Security Council member-states, to brief them on Cyprus' positions. Ambassador Zackheos stressed that the responsibility for the deadlock lies exclusively on the Turkish side on which the blame should be placed. All the Ambassadors of Cyprus abroad briefed the governments of the countries they are accredited to.

    From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/


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