Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-06-09

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] COREPER - TURKEY - ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS

[02] LILLIKAS - COREPER AGREEMENT

[01] COREPER - TURKEY - ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS

EU sources said that during the meeting of the Permanent Representatives of EU member states (COREPER), Permanent Representative Nicos Emiliou did not give the required consent of the Republic of Cyprus to achieve an agreement on the common position of the 25.

Emiliou presented the position of the Cyprus government and underlined that the text of the common position should include an explicit reference to the context of the EU25 counterstatement of September 21, 2005, issued after the unilateral declaration by Ankara that it does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus.

The Cypriot Representative expressed the governments reservations as regards the automatic opening and closing of negotiating chapters.

For these reasons, Emiliou did not give the consent of the Cyprus Republic for the approval of the common EU position and the issue will now be referred to the General Affairs and External Relations Council to be held Monday in Luxembourg.

The EU counterstatement says that Turkey`s declaration has no legal effect on its obligations, calls on Ankara to fully implement the protocol, creates a mechanism to monitor its implementation in 2006, notes that Turkey will have consequences if it does not fully implement it, makes clear that the EU recognises only the Republic of Cyprus, and points out the importance of Turkey recognising the Republic of Cyprus and the necessity to normalise Turkey`s relations with all EU member states the soonest possible.

In the counterstatement, ``the European Community and its member states acknowledge the signature by Turkey of the Additional Protocol to the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States on the one part and Turkey on the other, in accordance with the conclusions of the European Council of December 2004`` but ``regret that Turkey felt it necessary to make a declaration regarding the Republic of Cyprus at the time of signature.``

They also ``make clear that this declaration is unilateral, does not form part of the Protocol and has no legal effect on Turkey`s obligations.``

[02] LILLIKAS - COREPER AGREEMENT

The EU counterstatement was issued in response to the Turkish unilateral declaration of not recognising the Republic of Cyprus.

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