Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-12-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] UN SECRETARY GENERAL - CYPRUS QUESTION

[02] CYPRUS PRESIDENT - FRANCO-GERMAN PROPOSAL

[01] UN SECRETARY GENERAL - CYPRUS QUESTION

Annan said ``we had tried very hard to succeed with the unification so that a united Cyprus would go in (the EU). That didn`t happen and of course now we have a divided Cyprus admitted to the European Union, which is also complicating the negotiations with Turkey``.

He was replying to questions during a session of the International Womens Forum in New York.

He was asked what things he thought that he should have done differently that he didn`t do during his service as UN Secretary-General in the past ten years.

The UN Chief responded: Let me say that, yes, when you take on a job like the one I have done over a ten-year period, a period in which a lot has happened and we have tried to do a lot, there are things that you wish you had done differently, and also hope that if you had done it differently maybe you would have had different results.

This, he added, affects some of the negotiations and the areas that we got involved in and invested quite a lot of time and effort in. I was also determined at the beginning to try and help solve as many of the conflicts as possible, so that people can focus on the essential work of economic and social development.

He noted that one issue that we devoted quite a lot of time to, but in the end did not succeed, was Cyprus. I am saying this because it has become very topical, and it is also complicating life for the European Union. When we finally put together a package and went to a referendum, in fact the first time we worked until 5am in The Hague, and we didn`t get agreement. We pushed it, and then finally went to Burgenstock and put a proposal to a referendum at which the Turkish Cypriots voted yes and the Greek Cypriots voted no, and of course that meant the referendum failed.

Then, Annan added, there was a question of whether the European Union should accept a divided Cyprus into the EU or wait for unification. We had tried very hard to succeed with the unification so that a united Cyprus would go in. That didn`t happen and of course now we have a divided Cyprus admitted to the European Union, which is also complicating the negotiations with Turkey. All of us who were involved in that, each time you go to the region that comes up. But perhaps, if we had postponed the referendum a little bit and worked a bit harder we may have been able to resolve that. I am not entirely sure.

Cyprus, an EU member-state, has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. Ankara has ignored numerous UN resolutions calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish troops.

The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities went separately to the polls on 24 April 2004 to vote for the Annan Plan, providing for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. The Turkish Cypriots voted in favour by a majority of 64.99% while the Greek Cypriots rejected it by a clear majority of 75.8%.

[02] CYPRUS PRESIDENT - FRANCO-GERMAN PROPOSAL

Invited to say if the suggestion provides for sanctions against Turkey, Papadopoulos said the text of the proposal has not yet been finalized. As it stands, it reflects the opinion of the two countries. I wish it is accepted.

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