|
|
Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-28
CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou hails Cyprus agreement for negotiations
[01] Papandreou hails Cyprus agreement for negotiations
Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou on Monday said that an
agreement, last Friday, between Cyprus President Demetris Christofias
and Turksih Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to start full-fledged
negotiations on Septemeber 3 for resolving the protracted Cyprus
problem was a "very positive development".
President Christofias' "agreement with the Turkish Cypriot leader for
the start of direct negotiations aiming at the reunification of Cyprus
in the framework of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, with a single
personality, one citizenship and one sovereignty, is a very positive
development. PASOK will actively support the new effort for a solution.
An effort without impositions coming from outside, artificial
timeframes and arbitrage," Papandreou said in an interview with the
Athens daily "Eleftherotypia'.
"Turkey must withraw its occupation troops from Cyprus, contribute in
practice and cooperate constructively (towards a solution) as it has
the obligation to do as an EU candidate member-state, and leave, at
long last, the Turkish Cypriot community to speak freely without
tutelages," Papandreou added.
Regarding the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(FYROM), Papandreou claimed that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, with
his letter of reply to the neighbouring country's premier, "has
effectively conceded that, on the table of a bilateral dialogue, there
are other issues as well."
"Greece must not abandon the framework of UN-sponsored negotiations
regarding only one issue, that is, the name ...one name for all uses, a
composite name with a geographical qualifier," the PASOK leader added.
He also commented on the arrest, last week, of Bosnian Serb leader
Radovan Karadzic, saying that it was a "message of the will of the new
Serbian government to advance in its European course, a course which we
know helps the entire Balkans."
|