Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 02-12-04

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

Wednesday, 4 December 2002

CONTENTS

• [01] National Council meeting draws to a close
• [02] Annan hopes for a reunited Cyprus to join EU
• [03] British FM discusses Cyprus problem during contacts in Ankara
• [04] Jacques Poos criticises Turkish military for negative stance on Cyprus
• [05] Cyprus' UN Representative calls for lasting solution to Middle East conflict

[01] National Council meeting draws to a close

After the meeting, the Government Spokesman Mr. Michalis Papapetrou made the following statement:

"The two-day meeting of the National Council has been concluded. During the afternoon session, the National Council members expressed views with regard to the letter of reply that the President will send to Mr. de Soto, in relation to the Secretary-General's letter on 25 November.

The President of the Republic has listened carefully to all the views that have been expressed and will give the letter its final form".

[02] Annan hopes for a reunited Cyprus to join EU

"I think the people have gone through this conflict for several decades and we now have an opportunity to end it. I hope the two leaders will seize the opportunity and bring peace and stability to the island, and make history", Mr. Annan noted.

Asked about the limited time left for an agreement to be reached by 12 December, the UN Chief emphasised that "time has not run out" and that there was still time to come to an "honourable agreement". He also indicated that the timetable was "part and parcel" of his proposals on a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Furthermore, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Mr. Fred Eckhard, said yesterday during the daily press briefing that the UN would work with both sides to reduce differences between them and come up with a common text. "The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, is in Cyprus, prepared to do the leg work in such an effort", Mr. Eckhard said.

The UN Spokesman did not rule out the possibility of the Secretary- General's involvement in that process, but explained that there was no plan currently for Mr. Annan to travel to Cyprus. He also said, in response to a question, that he was unaware whether the Secretary-General would meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Rauf Denktash.

Asked about what would happen if no agreement would be reached in the days ahead, he said that the United Nations had been dealing with Cyprus for 28 years and would continue to do so, adding however that "now is a great opportunity" for progress.

[03] British FM discusses Cyprus problem during contacts in Ankara

Mr. Straw said that he discussed with the Turkish officials the UN Secretary-General's proposals on Cyprus, which the British government "greatly" welcomed, as he claimed.

He also said that Mr. Annan's solution plan "adds up to a very coherent set of proposals for a constitutional, democratic future for the two communities of Cyprus living side by side". "It represents", he added, "the best opportunity there is for a stable and prosperous future for both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island of Cyprus".

Mr. Straw expressed hope that both sides "recognise that there is an opportunity to resolve this matter to their satisfaction, the satisfaction of their peoples, which is unlikely to present itself for a long time afterwards".

[04] Jacques Poos criticises Turkish military for negative stance on Cyprus

The EU MP was speaking before the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, yesterday, in the midst of a discussion by members of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee of the current situation in Turkey.

Mr. Poos said, specifically, that the Turkish military did not agree with the Annan plan because it limited the territory they occupied to 28%, and explained that the second Turkish invasion in Cyprus only aimed at occupying more land and not at protecting the Turkish Cypriots.

It becomes obvious, he added, that Mr. Denktash does not want to negotiate on a solution, and "that goes against the will of the Turkish Cypriot people who have recently demonstrated in favour of a solution, the Annan plan and Cyprus' EU accession."

Mr. Poos also expressed the view that the Copenhagen European Council should leave a window open for further negotiations on a solution and, added that any agreement must be reached as soon as possible, preferably before the signing of the Accession Treaty in April 2003. "If that deadline is not met, the chance of reaching a solution for the reunification of Cyprus will be lost and there will not be another one", he concluded.

[05] Cyprus' UN Representative calls for lasting solution to Middle East conflict

Mr. Zackheos conveyed the Government's concern over the collapse of the peace process, the escalation of violence and the loss of lives, and called for a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Middle East problem, on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. At the same time, he underlined that any solution must "safeguard the basic tenets of justice, international legality and maintain and restore the dignity of individuals."

He emphasised that Cyprus was opposed to the policy of colonisation, due to its own experience of the negative effects of settlements, "which are illegal under international law and an impediment to the achievement of peace". "Illegal settlements can neither be condoned nor be accepted and its effects or objectives cannot be legalized ex post facto", he said.

"Prolonged occupation brings frustration, which can lead to acts of desperation", Mr. Zackheos noted, saying that the Palestinian people "must be able to look forward to an early prospect of an end to their unacceptable position."

He reaffirmed the Cyprus Government's readiness to assist the peace process in any way deemed appropriate, "including hosting meetings", and cited a recent demonstration of Cyprus' constructive role in the Middle East conflict, that of the impasse in the Church of Nativity.

He also expressed certainty that a solution of the conflict would lead to "a greater sense of safety and justice, both at the regional and international level".

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article