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