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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-06-06
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Friday, 06 June 2003 Foreign Minister discusses Turkish violations at
Strovilia with American, British and UN officials
[02] Cyprus and Britain sign a Memorandum of Understanding on British Base
Areas
[03] European Parliament urges Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern
Cyprus
[01] Foreign Minister discusses Turkish violations at Strovilia with
American, British and UN officials
The Foreign Minister Mr George Iacovou made the following statement
yesterday: "Today, I had separate meetings, with the American Ambassador Mr
Michael Klosson, the Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary
General and Chief of Mission, Zbigniew Wlosowicz and the British High
Commissioner Mr Lyn Parker.
With Mr Klosson I discussed the program of my forthcoming visit to the
United States. All my meetings were confirmed including the meetings with
Mr Collin Powell, Mrs Condoleezza Rice and other officials in Washington. I
would also like to confirm that in New York I will be meeting Mr Kofi Annan,
Mr de Soto, other United Nations officials, the President of the Security
Council, the five permanent members of the Security Council and the
President of the General Assembly of the United Nations. With Messrs
Klosson, Wlosowicz and Parker I discussed the issue of Strovilia and the
need for measures to be taken to restore the status quo of the area to that
which existed before the year 2000. There is of course a history of
violations which dates back to the year 2000, it was intensified in 2002
and the situation has now reached unacceptable levels. All of them
confirmed that they accept our positions regarding the status of this area,
which is not situated in the occupied areas, but in the free areas, it is a
territory that is situated in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus and
the explanations of the Turkish Cypriot and the Turkish side, in general,
are totally unacceptable. They all confirmed that they have made strong
representations to the Turkish Cypriot leadership as well as to Turkey.
With the British High Commissioner we discussed, as I said after our
previous meeting, some measures of improving the living conditions as well
as the sense of security of the inhabitants of the area. They are ready to
contribute in this direction, even though they believe that their
capabilities are rather restricted since this area is simply neighbouring
with the British Bases, but it is not part of the British Bases.
I believe that the situation, as it has developed, should be the object of
interest of the Security Council, which will convene to renew the term of
office of UNFICYP and so I exchanged some views with the three officials on
this issue."
[02] Cyprus and Britain sign a Memorandum of Understanding on British Base
Areas
The Foreign Minister Mr George Iacovou and the British High Commissioner Mr
Lyn Parker signed yesterday a Memorandum of Understanding between the
Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Government of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, concerning responsibility
for the implementation of the Protocol on the Sovereign Base Areas at
Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus. In a statement to the press after the
signing ceremony Mr Iacovou said that the Memorandum provides for the clear
distinguishing of authorities, obligations and competences between Cyprus
and the UK for the implementation of the Acquis Communautaire on the
British Bases in Cyprus. The Foreign Minister explained that the Memorandum
will be attached to the Protocol on the Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus
annexed to the Accession Treaty of Cyprus to the European Union.
Mr Iacovou welcomed the announcement of the British Government to extend
the application of European Convention of Human Rights to the Sovereign
Base Areas with effect from 1st of May 2004 as a very important development
for the protection of human rights in Cyprus. The Cyprus Government always
maintained the position that the European Convention on Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms as well as its Protocols, should be implemented on the
British Base Areas as it is implemented on the rest of the Republic he said,
adding that all citizens of the Republic who live or go through the
Sovereign Base Areas will be able to fully enjoy the rights and freedoms
that they would have elsewhere on the island. For his part, the British
High Commissioner expressed satisfaction with the signing of the memorandum.
He said, moreover, that the British Government is pressing ahead with the
procedures necessary for the application of the Accession Treaty.
''A bill to give effect to the necessary changes to our law in the UK is
before Parliament and we hope to be in a position to ratify for our own
part the Accession Treaty for the ten countries as quickly as possible" he
added.
[03] European Parliament urges Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern
Cyprus
The European Parliament adopted yesterday a resolution on Turkey's
application to join the European Union, urging the country "to withdraw its
troops from northern Cyprus so as to pave the way for the reunification of
the island and facilitate the resumption of talks." Referring to Turkey in
relation to the Cyprus problem, the resolution states that the European
Parliament: "Deplores the failure of the meeting in The Hague on 10 March
2003 and calls on the Turkish Cypriot leadership and the Turkish authorities
to take courageous steps so that a fair and workable solution to the Cyprus
problem can yet be reached, on the basis of the proposals of Secretary-
General Kofi Annan, which is an essential condition of proceeding with
Turkey's application for membership of the EU; urges Turkey to be fully
committed to its status of candidate country and to withdraw its troops
from northern Cyprus so as to pave the way for the reunification of the
island and facilitate the resumption of talks;" The resolution, based on
the report of MEP Arie Oostlander on Turkey's application for accession to
the EU, which was adopted by 216 votes in favour, 75 against and 38
abstentions, notes that the conditions for opening accession negotiations
with Turkey "are not yet in place." Speaking to the press, the Dutch
Rapporteur Mr Oostlander noted that although Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan considered the Annan plan to be a basis for reaching a
solution to the Cyprus problem, the talks in The Hague failed due to the
intervention of the Turkish military on the Turkish government. ''This is
unacceptable,'' he said.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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