Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-12-20

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT CYPRUS TALKS

[02] FM - EU-ARAB LEAGUE MEETING

[01] PRESIDENT CYPRUS TALKS

Addressing the extraordinary pancyprian conference of the left wing ruling AKEL party, President Christofias and General Secretary of AKEL, noted that he had agreed with the Turkish Cypriot leader during the meetings they held last summer, that the basis of the direct talks between them would be the UN resolutions and the High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979.

The aim of the talks is to reach a solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, with political equality, as defined by the UN resolutions, he said and added: The solution will provide for one state in Cyprus, with a one and single sovereignty, one citizenship and one international personality. As a result of the agreement between the two communities, the unified state will become a federal state with a central body that will ensure the unity of the state, the people and the institutions.

Although we are at the initial stage of the process, and it would be premature to reach any secure conclusions, we can not state that we are satisfied with the course of the negotiations, at the extent we would have liked to be, he noted.

President Christofias rejected that there is a Plan B on the handling of the Cyprus issue, noting that the Plan B is the Plan A, which is to find a solution to the problem, as he said.

Referring to the progress at the negotiations table, President Christofias said that the two sides have agreed upon a number of issues. However, he said, there are many other issues in which the two sides have serious disagreements.

President Christofias also expressed his disappointment for the Turkish Cypriot stance and its position that there are two people and two states in Cyprus. I hope the Turkish Cypriot leadership will keep a more constructive stance in the negotiation process in the future. A stance that will serve the target of the reunification of the island, he added.

In addition, President Christofias expressed hope that the Turkish Cypriot side realizes that the reunification of Cyprus, the withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops from the island and the termination of the illegal Turkish massive settlement of Cyprus would be for its best interest.

I also hope that Turkey, eventually realizes that its own interest, the interest of the Turkish people and the countrys European orientation, require to work towards the solution of the Cyprus problem and to abandon any expansionist ambitions in Cyprus

President Christofias and Talat have been engaged in direct negotiations since early September this year, aiming at reuniting the island, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

[02] FM - EU-ARAB LEAGUE MEETING

According to an official press release, the meeting was attended by Ministers of EU member states and League of Arab States, as well as Turkey. In his intervention, Kyprianou stressed the importance Cyprus attributes to enhancing and promoting relations and cooperation between the European Union and the Arab world, noting that Cyprus is the only EU member state in the East Mediterranean.

Referring to Cyprus activities within the EU in this respect, Cypriot Minister highlighted a Cyprus Ireland joint initiative to enhance relations between the Union and the Palestinian Authority, which was hailed by a number of delegations.

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article