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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-10-16Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] FM - TURKEY - EU - CYPRUSCypriot Foreign Minister George Lillikas has expressed hope that the meeting of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul with the EU Troika will bear fruit, adding that it is not an end in itself for Cyprus to create a crisis in Turkeys relations with the EU.In statements at Larnaca airport prior to his departure for Luxembourg to attend a General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting, Lillikas said that Cyprus is making efforts for the Finnish Presidencys initiative to yield results and to create such preconditions and circumstances that will allow Turkey to continue in a smooth manner its EU accession course. Invited to say if he expects any result from the meeting between Gul and the EU troika, Lillikas said that that the government is in close contact and cooperation with the Finish Presidency, in the framework of the initiative it has undertaken. He said he expected to be briefed on the results of the meeting by the president of the General Affairs and External Relations Council. To a remark that EU member states do not seem to exert any specific pressure on Turkey to implement its obligations towards the Union and Cyprus, Lillikas said that no one can prejudge which will be the position of the various European countries nor someone can prejudge which will be the context of the Commissions progress report on Turkey and the approach for any sanctions to be discussed after the Commissions report. He noted that there are many ideas on the table which the EU countries are looking into or are discussing, noting that the effort from our part is that the Finnish Presidencys initiative will have results. Invited to say if these ideas satisfy Cyprus so that it will not veto Turkeys accession course, Lillikas said that from the moment that the Finnish initiative is underway and Turkey has not yet so far rejected these ideas, nor has it closed the door for dialogue, it would be a mistake for us to start discussing on a plan B or the ideas of other member states on the discussion that will follow after 8 November. Asked about the meeting he had Sunday with his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos, Lillikas said they briefed each other and exchanged views on the further course especially of the Euro-Turkish relations. The Finnish Presidency tabled some draft proposals in a bid to avoid a ``train crash`` in Turkey`s accession talks, due to Ankara`s refusal to implement the additional protocol. Cyprus, which joined the EU in May 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Turkey, a country aspiring to become an EU member state, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and refuses to implement the EU-Turkey Customs Union Protocol, by opening its ports and airports to Cyprus. [02] BAROSO - TURKEY - EUEuropean Commissioner President, Jose Manuel Barroso, expressed hope that Turkey will fulfill all its EU obligations, including complying with the Ankara Agreement, that provides for the implementation of a Customs Union Protocol with all ten new EU member states, including the Republic of Cyprus.Answering a question by CNA, Barroso said that on November 8th, the European Commission will issue its progress report on Turkeys accession course, which will be as always, an objective, serious, honest report about the progress that Turkey is making and sometimes not making regarding negotiations with the EU. In an interview with BBC, Barroso referred to the political and economical criteria that Turkey has not yet satisfied. [03] ICF - ISF - TURKEYHead of the International Shipping Chamber (ISC) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) Spyros Polemis said that the embargo imposed by Turkey on ships flying the Cyprus flag is ``illegal and must end.``Polemis, who is visiting Cyprus at the invitation of the Cyprus Shipping Council, was received by Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and also met with Cypriot Communications and Works Minister Haris Thrasou. Replying to questions regarding the Turkish embargo, after the meeting with Thrasou, Polemis said that the ISC and ISF have made representations on this issue in the past ``because this is a problem which should not exist.`` ``This is an illegality which we have fought as much as we can,`` Polemis added. Replying to the same question, Thrasou said that the Turkish embargo not only affects Cypriot shipping but also Europe`s merchant shipping because a large number of ships are registered in the Cypriot registry. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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