Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 02-06-10

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

Monday, 10 June 2002

CONTENTS

• [01] 1. Foreign Minister participating in Intergovernmental Conference for the accession of Cyprus to the EU, in Luxembourg
• [02] 2. Cyprus' Chief Negotiator in Berlin
• [03] Continuation of Direct Talks for the Cyprus Problem

[01] 1. Foreign Minister participating in Intergovernmental Conference for the accession of Cyprus to the EU, in Luxembourg

At the airport the Foreign Minister made the following statement:

" I depart for Luxembourg, the first stop of my journey, where the Conference on the accession of the EU candidate countries will take place in order to temporarily close the 28th chapter and to essentially ratify the completion of the accession negotiations.

As you are aware, the Chapter on Agriculture and on Budgetary Provisions are the ones still open. As far as the Chapter on Agriculture is concerned we have completed the work expected from our part. Our next moves in relation to these two chapters concern the financing for which the EU will decide its distribution and will discuss it with the member states next October. Essentially though, Cyprus/ accession negotiations with the EU have been completed.

After my trip to Luxembourg, at the invitation of the Slovakian Foreign Minister, I will be paying an official visit to Bratislava. A series of issues are of common concern to our countries, like for example our common effort to join the European Union. During my visit there, I will have the opportunity to express our thanks for the presence of the Slovakian detachment in the UN Peace Keeping Force on the island. Before my trip to Slovakia, I will stay for a while in Vienna where I will be meeting with the Austrian Foreign Minister.

Finally, during my return, which will be via Budapest, I will have the opportunity to meet with the new Hungarian Foreign Minister".

[02] 2. Cyprus' Chief Negotiator in Berlin

More specifically, Mr Vassiliou met with the Vice President of the European Affairs Parliamentary Committee, Mr Gunther Gloser, and other Committee members.

He also had a meeting with the Parliamentary Spokesman of the Free Democratic Party, Dr Wolfgang Gerhard. Present at the meeting was the party official and ex deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Werner Hoyer.

At the peak of the activities in Berlin was the event organised for Cyprus at the offices of the Delegation of the European Commission in Berlin which was organised in cooperation with the Cypriot Embassy with Mr Vassiliou as the key speaker.

During the event, the Director of the Delegation, Mr Axel Bunz, also delivered a speech.

Mr Bunz stated, inter alia, that the Helsinki conclusions in 1999 are valid and that the solution of the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for the accession of Cyprus to the EU. He added that the European Commission offered an amount of more than 200 million EURO for the development of the occupied areas in the event of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Mr Vassiliou, referring to the Turkish threats for the creation of a crisis in the event of Cyprus' accession to the EU prior to a solution of the Cyprus problem, stated that the latest decision of the Turkish National Security Council set the European prospective amongst the Turkish foreign policy priorities. For this reason, I would not expect Turkey to provoke a crisis as this would mean the burying of Turkey's expectations of acceding the Union, he concluded.

[03] Continuation of Direct Talks for the Cyprus Problem

The regular meetings between President Clerides and Mr Denktash are taking place under the aegis of the United Nations in the framework of the direct talks for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

The next meetings will be taking place next Tuesday and Friday.

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

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