Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-01-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] PAPADOPOULOS - CYPRUS TALKS

[01] PAPADOPOULOS - CYPRUS TALKS

The President was invited to comment on the ongoing talks between his top aide the Director of his Diplomatic Office Ambassador Tasos Tzionis and the aide to Turkish Cypriot leader Racit Pertev, who meet regularly to help implement the July agreement.

The fundamental provision of the July agreement is that substantive issues must be examined by experts to define the issues of disagreement which will be discussed by the leaders of the two communities, he explained.

If this preparatory work is not completed, then there is no meaning in a meeting with Talat, he reiterated, noting that in such a case a meeting will be a decorative move.

Progress in the technical committees depends on progress on the working committees and we are trying to find procedural methods that will allow coordination. This is what the two aides are talking about, he said.

On Turkeys European aspirations, Papadopoulos said Cyprus will opt to either lift objections or raise additional ones in Ankaras accession negotiations, depending on various factors.

Eight negotiating chapters will not open (until Turkey complies with its EU obligations to Cyprus), in accordance with EU decisions. Turkeys compliance with the acquis communautaire, its attitude towards Cyprus and assessing the current situation to determine whether it is in our interest to either lift objections or raise new ones will be taken into consideration before we decide on opening new negotiating chapters, he explained.

The President described as very important a Supreme Court decision which dismissed claims for compensation by a Turkish Cypriot with regard to his property, in the southern government controlled part of the country.

I believe that the Supreme Court has reaffirmed once more the legitimacy of the law governing the custody of Turkish Cypriot properties, saying this very fundamental legislation is constitutional, he said.

He expressed the view that the European Court of Human Rights will endorse this judgment, if and when the case is brought before it.

The Turkish Cypriot was seeking damages for the expropriation of part of his property, near the southern town of Limassol, and for granting the rest to Greek Cypriot refugees for temporary use, until a political settlement is reached.

Asked about Turkeys objections to a bilateral agreement between Lebanon and Cyprus for the exploration and exploitation of oil and natural reserves, at sea, the President stressed that the agreement delineating the exclusive economic zone between the two countries has been signed and it will be tabled to the UN, which will conclude the necessary procedure in relation to such agreements.

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