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Sunday, 22 December 2024
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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 09-07-16Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT - CYPRUS ISSUEPresident of the Republic Demetris Christofias has said that with the initiatives the Greek Cypriot side has taken and the policy it is following, it has given a fresh impetus to the negotiating process for a solution of the Cyprus problem, noting that his government has given renewed hope for a settlement.Speaking at an event in Limassol to condemn the 1974 coup and the Turkish invasion, President Christofias said that in the ongoing UN-led direct talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat ``we are facing obstacles and difficulties,`` nevertheless ``there have been steps of progress.`` ``The results could have surely been better. We are not disappointed. We are proceeding because there is no other alternative,`` he said, adding that the Greek Cypriot side remains committed to a bizonal bicommunal federation, with political equality, as set out in UN resolutions, a solution that will provide for a united Cyprus with a single sovereignty, a single international identity and a single citizenship. President Christofias said the Greek Cypriot side wants a solution the soonest possible but noted that much depends on the positions submitted at the negotiating table. He said the Greek Cypriot side has been submitting positions that serve the aim of the solution and facilitate the talks, adding that the Turkish side has been expressing intransigent and tough positions on core issues. President Christofias pointed out that pressure should be exerted on Turkey to contribute towards a settlement, and noted that ``we cannot accept arbitration.`` He also sent a message to the Turkish Cypriots, assuring them that ``we can and we must live peacefully, in a reunited Cyprus.`` [02] EU SWEDISH - CYPRUS ISSUESwedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has expressed the view that the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus have an historic opportunity to together reach an agreement on a solution that would heal an island that has been divided for far too long. Reinfeldt, whose country holds the six-monthly rotating EU presidency, was speaking Wednesday before the European Parliament in Strasbourg presenting the priorities of the Swedish presidency for the next six months as well as his vision for Europe.Referring to EU enlargement, he said that at the end of the day, membership is about sharing a set of common basic values and following common rules. This is something that those on the outside are now contemplating. From Reykjavik to Ankara, and across the Western Balkans, he added. He went on to say that Cyprus two leaders have been granted an historic opportunity to together reach an agreement on a solution that would heal an island that has been divided for far too long. To those on the inside, allowing the membership process to become an opportunity to solve protracted disputes can be tempting, he noted, adding that in such cases, we must find solutions that can benefit both sides and open up a way forward. [03] BRITISH MPs - MEETING ON CYPRUSBritish MPs, who have participated in a meeting in London on the Cyprus problem, expressed their full support to the stance of the Greek Cypriot side in talks for a Cyprus settlement. They also deplored Turkey`s stance, noting that the key to a solution lies with Ankara and that Britain and the US can and must help towards achieving a settlement.Opening the discussion in a parliament hall, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the United Kingdom Peter Droussiotis, who presided over the meeting, said ``Turkey has created an illegal regime and is trying to change the demography of the occupied areas and destroy its cultural heritage.`` ``This by a country knocking at the door of Europe. A Europeanised Turkey which fulfils a positive role, a democratic Turkey, is a strategic imperative even more so for a small island like Cyprus whose existence and survival depends not on military might but on international law. Turkey has a unique opportunity with the direct negotiations to demonstrate that it can change. The UK, a close ally of Turkey, with historic responsibilities to Cyprus, must exert real pressure on the Turkish government to support in deeds the true unity of the island,`` he added. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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