Read the North Atlantic Treaty (4 April 1949) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-04-17

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]Thursday, 17 April 2003 Cyprus signs EU Accession Treaty - Treaty Protocol says acquis suspended in areas not controlled by Government
  • [02] President Papadopoulos' statement to the press
  • [03] Greek Premier calls 16 April a "historic day" for Europe
  • [04] EU Ambassador says Cyprus' role as EU member is crucial
  • [05] US Ambassador congratulates Cyprus on signing of Accession Treaty
  • [06] EU calls on Turkey to reconsider its position on Cyprus problem

    [01] Cyprus signs EU Accession Treaty - Treaty Protocol says acquis suspended in areas not controlled by Government

    The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Georgios Iacovou, signed yesterday afternoon in Athens the Treaty of Accession of Cyprus to the European Union. The Protocol on Cyprus, attached to the Treaty of Accession, provides for "the suspension of the application of the acquis in those areas of the Republic of Cyprus in which the government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control". It adds that in the event of a settlement of the Cyprus problem, "the Council, acting unanimously on the basis of a proposal from the Commission, shall decide on the adaptations to the terms concerning the accession of Cyprus to the European Union with regard to the Turkish Cypriot community". The Protocol reaffirms the contracting parties' "commitment to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, consistent with relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and their strong support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General to that end." It further notes that "the EU is ready to accommodate the terms of a settlement in line with the principles on which the EU is founded", and expresses the EU's desire that Cyprus' accession to the Union "shall benefit all Cypriot citizens and promote civil peace and reconciliation." It is also mentioned that nothing in the Protocol shall preclude economic measures for the areas not controlled by the Cyprus Government, and that such measures shall not affect the application of the acquis communautaire under the conditions set out in the Accession Treaty in any other part of the Republic of Cyprus. Also attached to Cyprus' Treaty of Accession to the EU is the Protocol on the Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Cyprus, which states that the Accession Treaty shall not apply to the British Sovereign Bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus, except to the extent necessary to ensure the implementation of agreed arrangements set out in the Protocol.

    [02] President Papadopoulos' statement to the press

    "I consider this day historic, perhaps the most significant following Cyprus' independence. We express gratitude to Greece and the European Union which helped towards the accession of Cyprus. We expect that small Cyprus will make its own contribution towards the prevalence of the acquis communautaire", the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, said in his statement to the press following the signing of the Accession Treaty. Asked, during a joint press briefing of the EU Presidency and the ten acceding countries, to say what message he would convey to the Cyprus people, both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, President Papadopoulos cited his speech made earlier at the signing ceremony, noting, "We would like both communities, within the framework of a unified Cyprus, to benefit from the advantages of EU accession. We will make every effort towards a resumption of the talks for the attainment of a peaceful, functional and viable solution of the Cyprus problem."

    [03] Greek Premier calls 16 April a "historic day" for Europe

    The Greek Prime Minister and President of the European Council, Mr Costas Simitis, called the 16th of April a "historic day", as it marked the reunification of the European continent on the basis of peace, creation, cooperation and solidarity. In his speech at the Accession Treaty signing ceremony yesterday, Mr Simitis pointed out that the achievement of reunifying Europe and widening the EU created some new obligations and challenges, particularly in the areas of defence and external relations, and social policy. Furthermore, speaking at a press conference after the signing ceremony, the Greek Premier said that he planned to visit all the 24 countries which would be participating in the June European Council, including Cyprus. In Cyprus, the first stop of his EU tour, Mr Simitis would be discussing matters pertaining to the June Summit as well as recent developments. Asked by a journalist to say whether he had any package to present to Turkish Cypriots during his visit to the island, he replied, "I don't really have anything to offer to the two communities. I am the President of the European Union. The EU has defined its policy. It has announced what arrangements it will make in order to bolster the Turkish Cypriot community, and it has also defined a percentage of resources to be allocated to the Turkish community, and this procedure will continue."

    [04] EU Ambassador says Cyprus' role as EU member is crucial

    The Head of the European Commission's delegation to Cyprus, Ambassador Adriaan van der Meer, expressed the position that Cyprus' entry to the EU would add "a new focus" and "a new geographic dimension" to the Union, adding that "Cyprus' role is crucial". Speaking during a special ceremony of the Nicosia Municipality yesterday, on the occasion of the signing of Cyprus' Accession Treaty in Athens, Mr van der Meer stressed that Cyprus would soon participate with equal rights and equal obligations in the EU's decision-making process. On the Cyprus problem, the EU official said that the EU strongly supported the continuation of the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices mission with a view to reaching a lasting settlement on the basis of the Annan Plan, noting that "there is still more than one year before accession and the EU trusts that a settlement can be reached before that date". "The EU will do all it can to support projects in Cyprus that will further build trust and common understanding between the communities", he further said, adding, "We will accelerate our activities where possible".

    [05] US Ambassador congratulates Cyprus on signing of Accession Treaty

    The US Ambassador to Cyprus, Mr Michael Klosson, conveyed the following congratulatory message yesterday to the Cyprus Government, upon the signing by the Republic of Cyprus of its EU Accession Treaty: "I want to congratulate the government of Cyprus on its signature today of the EU accession treaty. The United States has long been supportive of Cyprus's aspirations to join the European Union. With the signing of the treaty in Athens, that dream moves toward reality. The United States had hoped that the UN Secretary General's efforts to reach a just and durable settlement would have led to the signature of the accession treaty by a unified Cyprus. We regret that this, despite strong efforts by the UN Secretary General, the United States and other members of the international community, proved not possible for reasons cited by the UN Secretary General. The people of the United States and Cyprus benefit from our countries' rich and multi-faceted relationship, supported by strong economic, commercial, cultural, educational, social and political ties. Today, as Cyprus prepares to join the EU, the relationship between our two countries will become even more wide-ranging. The U.S. looks forward to expanding our dialogue with the Republic of Cyprus to include issues related to its membership in the EU. We look forward to deepening our cooperation even further."

    [06] EU calls on Turkey to reconsider its position on Cyprus problem

    The European Union, in its joint position on EU-Turkish relations presented at the 42nd meeting of the EC-Turkey Association Council, in Luxembourg last Tuesday, stated the following on Cyprus [para 21]: "With respect to Cyprus, the European Union deeply regrets that the efforts of the UNSG to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem have failed. The EU strongly supports the continuation of the Secretary General's mission of good offices and of negotiations on the basis of his proposals. It urges all parties concerned to spare no effort towards a just, viable and functional settlement and, in particular, the Turkish Cypriot leadership to reconsider its position. In line with the priority included in the Accession Partnership, the EU expects Turkey to lend effective support to these efforts. The EU recalls that the European Council at its meeting in Brussels on 20/21 March reaffirmed its decision taken at Copenhagen with regard to Cyprus' accession to the EU."

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


    Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
  • Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    cypio2html v1.02 run on Thursday, 17 April 2003 - 13:30:08 UTC