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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-05-20
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Tuesday, 20 May 2003 Cyprus Foreign Minister meets with European
Commissioner for Enlargement
[01] Cyprus Foreign Minister meets with European Commissioner for
Enlargement
The Foreign Minister, Mr George Iacovou, who is currently in Brussels to
participate in the work of the European Union General Affairs and External
Relations Council, had a meeting yesterday with the European Commissioner
for Enlargement, Mr Gunter Verheugen. After the meeting the European
Commissioner and the Foreign Minister made the following statements:
<STRONG>Verheugen</STRONG>: This is not our first meeting with Mr. Iacovou;
we have already met 5 or 6 times. But it was our first meeting which covers
the whole range of issues. I am very happy to say that we are in full
agreement that our strategy was successful and Cyprus will be a member of
the EU on the 1st May 2004, whatever happens. I explained the Minister what
the position of the EU is. We strongly support the efforts to find a
political settlement as soon as possible, building on the initiatives of
the Secretary- General of the United Nations and the Commission is ready to
support these efforts. We have also discussed the situation on the island
after the easing of restrictions as far as the crossing of the buffer zone
is concerned and we agreed that the experience that we have with the
opening of the borders is very positive and that we can clearly see that
both communities have the capacity and the will to live together in
peace. We have agreed that I will come to Cyprus as soon as the Commission
has decided on the economic package that the Commission is preparing for
the northern part of the island.
<STRONG>Iacovou</STRONG>: We thank Commissioner Verheugen for his
statement. As he said, this is not the first time we meet, but this is the
first time we exchange views in such detail. It has always been the
position of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus that we must seek a
solution to the Cyprus problem. We must build on the Secretary-General's
initiative. We exchanged views. We will continue with the exchange of views
when the Commissioner comes to Cyprus next month. The recent developments
have shown that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can live together.
There have been many manifestations of friendship and fraternity. So, all
the statements by the Turkish leadership about the impossibility of Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots living together are now completely out of
fashion, obviously this must be taken into account in any future discussion
for the solution of the problem. The Commission has our full cooperation on
the package of measures for the Turkish Cypriot community, which will come
to complement the package we have announced already several weeks
ago.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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