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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-11-07
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Friday, 07 November 2003 Irish Premier calls for "determined effort" to
reach Cyprus settlement
[02] Foreign Minister: Commission's report on Turkey associates Ankara's EU
aspirations with solution of Cyprus problem
[01] Irish Premier calls for "determined effort" to reach Cyprus settlement
"It is our view that there should be a determined effort to agree on a
settlement in time so that a unified and united Cyprus will join the EU on
1 May 2004", the Irish Prime Minister, Mr Bertie Ahern, has said, noting
that that would be "a historic development and an important achievement for
everybody concerned". Mr Ahern, whose country assumed the six-month
rotating EU Presidency in January 2004, was speaking after talks with the
President of the Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, in Nicosia yesterday.
The Irish Premier said he had informed President Papadopoulos on the
important items on the agenda of the Irish EU Presidency, which included
inter alia making preparations for the forthcoming Summit next Spring on
the Lisbon process, ensuring everything was in place for EU enlargement in
May 2004, and focusing on EU relations with third countries. "Most
importantly, we had a very useful discussion on the UN efforts to reach an
agreed settlement on the Cyprus question; I want to thank the President for
his insight on the current position and his views on this matter are going
forward in the months and particularly into our Presidency", Mr Ahern
further noted and added that the Irish Presidency intended to offer full
support to the UN Secretary-General's efforts in Cyprus and to encourage
all sides involved to engage in peace talks with commitment and determination.
He also congratulated President Papadopoulos on the positive remarks noted
in the Commission's progress report on Cyprus, issued last Wednesday, and
said Ireland was looking forward to welcoming Cyprus as a full member of
the EU in May 2004. Invited to comment on the warning of the Commission to
Turkey that the absence of a Cyprus settlement could become a serious
obstacle to its EU aspirations, Mr Ahern stressed that the Copenhagen
criteria constituted the basis on which a country's candidacy for
membership was being judged. "Commissioner Verheugen said there is an issue
around the united Cyprus that still has to be resolved, as everybody would
like to see that, it is not a link, not a legal link, not a procedure but a
note to reality", he further said. Asked to say what message he was sending
to Ankara as regards its policy on Cyprus, the Irish Prime Minister pointed
out that during his meeting with his Turkish counterpart, last July, he had
told Mr Erdogan that the Copenhagen criteria formed the basis for the EU
decision on a country's membership course.
"I added that the conclusion of the difficulties and the outstanding issues
around Cyprus would be extremely helpful and I urged him that I would like
to see these issues resolved", Mr Ahern concluded. On his part, President
Papadopoulos expressed gratitude to the Irish Premier for Dublin's "steady,
consistent and lasting support" as regards the Cyprus problem and said he
was pleased with the "excellent relations" between the two countries.
Mr Papadopoulos also wished Mr Ahern and his country a successful term
holding the EU Presidency.
[02] Foreign Minister: Commission's report on Turkey associates Ankara's EU
aspirations with solution of Cyprus problem
The Foreign Minister, Mr Georgios Iacovou, has noted that the European
Commission's strategy paper on Turkey was essentially associating Ankara's
EU accession course with the solution of the Cyprus problem. Mr Iacovou,
who was speaking yesterday at Larnaca Airport upon his return to the island
after successive visits to Britain and Moldavia, commented on the
Commission's report on Turkey, which noted that not finding a settlement to
the Cyprus problem could pose a serious obstacle to Ankara's aspiration to
commence accession talks. "Setting a date for the commencement of EU
accession negotiations with Turkey is dependent, to a large extent if not
directly, upon the solution of the Cyprus problem by 1 May 2004", Mr
Iacovou pointed out. As regards Ankara's last-minute efforts to evade the
particular reference on Cyprus from being included in the report, Mr
Iacovou said the Cyprus Government had taken all the necessary steps to
ensure that Mr Erdogan's attempts to change the report would not succeed.
In other statements, the Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with his
contacts in London with his British counterpart and members of the House of
Commons. After London, Mr Iacovou travelled to Chisinau, Moldavia, where he
attended the 113th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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