Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-12-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] CYPRUS PRESIDENT - CYPRUS PROBLEM - UNSC PERMANENT MEMBERS

[02] FINLAND - TURKEY - EU

[03] EU - DRAFT CONCLUSIONS

[01] CYPRUS PRESIDENT - CYPRUS PROBLEM - UNSC PERMANENT MEMBERS

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing after wrapping up an official visit to China, President Papadopoulos said ``every discussion, initiative, thought on the Cyprus problem must be a topic of discussion by the five permanent members as well.``

President Papadopoulos said the government has been requesting this from UN representatives, and he himself in person requested it from the UN Secretary General and even French President Jacques Chirac, who said he would be giving instructions to France`s Permanent Representative at the UN in that direction. He added that he has also made the same request from the Presidents of Russia and China.

The Cypriot President noted that France, Russia and China have been seeking a direct involvement in the Cyprus problem over the past period, both in New York and Cyprus, adding that the UN Secretary General`s Special Representative in Cyprus Michael Moller has meetings in Nicosia with the representatives of the Security Council permanent members once a month.

Referring to the July 8 agreement, President Papadopoulos said the Greek Cypriot side is focusing on matters of substance, while the Turkish side is interested in day-to-day issues.

``We are saying that we are interested in solving the Cyprus problem, reunification, while the Turkish side seems to be interested in learning to live apart and solve the problems arising from the division,`` he pointed out.

Asked if working groups and technical committees have been set up, President Papadopoulos said they have not yet began work.

Referring to the forthcoming European Council, President Papadopoulos said the options regarding Turkey are the termination of its EU accession talks, which no one wants, or the continuation of Turkey`s EU course as if nothing has happened, which again no one wants, or the ``freezing`` of certain chapters, or that there should not be another date for the reassessment of Turkey or that a new timeframe should be set for the country`s evaluation.

``Everyone is supporting their positions. We will not accept a solution that says Turkey`s course continues as if nothing has happened,`` the President pointed out.

He added that if the conclusions provide for what Cyprus has suggested to the Commission and the Presidency, then that is fine, otherwise ``we will decide according to the support we will have from other states.``

Referring to Friday`s COREPER meeting, President Papadopoulos said Turkey`s proposal to open a single port is ``nothing new`` and that ``they have been saying from the beginning that they are willing to lift the bans on the ports and air space if the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is lifted and from the beginning they have been talking about opening Ercan (illegal airport in Turkish occupied Tympou) and the Famagusta port.``

The President pointed out that throughout the Turkish proposal there is a connection of the fulfillment of Turkey`s obligations towards the EU with the Cyprus problem.

President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on July 8th 2006, during a meeting in the presence of UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Following the agreement, senior aides of the two leaders in Cyprus, Tasos Tzionis and Rasit Pertev, began meetings in Moller`s office in the UN-controlled buffer zone to work out the modalities for the implementation of the July agreement.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

[02] FINLAND - TURKEY - EU

``What Turkey has said is not enough and of course the Union will make the decision how to continue the negotiation process with Turkey,`` he told reporters in Brussels during a video conference from Helsinki.

According to press reports, Vanhanen said he expected EU member states to agree next Monday to a partial suspension of entry talks, as proposed by the European Commission for Turkey`s refusal to extend a customs union with the EU to Cyprus.

``The Commission proposal I believe is quite near the compromise,`` he said of the EU executive`s proposal for slowing Turkish accession talks by suspending eight of 35 negotiation areas, or chapters.

[03] EU - DRAFT CONCLUSIONS

The Finnish presidency makes no reference to Turkey`s proposal to open a single port and a single airport to Cypriot ships and airplanes, probably due to reactions on behalf of Cyprus, Greece and other member states during Thursday`s COREPER meeting.

In the draft conclusions, the Council ``recalls the declaration of the European Community and its Member States of 21 September 2005 and notes that Turkey has not fulfilled its obligation of full non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement.``

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