Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 02-12-10

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/>

Tuesday, 10 December 2002

CONTENTS

• [01] UN Secretary-General presents revised text of his solution plan
• [02] President Clerides receives Pat Cox and Thomas Weston
• [03] Cyprus Foreign Minister holds contacts in Brussels
• [04] Greek Prime Minister confirms European support for Cyprus' accession

[01] UN Secretary-General presents revised text of his solution plan

"Letters from the Secretary-General were delivered this morning to H. E. Mr Glafcos Clerides, the Greek Cypriot leader, and H. E. Mr Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, by the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Mr Alvaro de Soto. With these letters he conveyed a revision of his proposed Basis for Agreement on a Comprehensive Settlement of the Cyprus Problem, which had been conveyed to the two sides on 11 November 2002.

The document was revised following intensive consultations with the two sides participating in the negotiation. These consultations were stepped up in the past few days following receipt last week of the two sides' comments, suggestions and requests, with Mr de Soto and his colleagues shuttling between the two leaders and their colleagues with a view to improving the text.

In his letter, the Secretary-General asks the two leaders to give the revision the most urgent consideration with a view to reaching a decisive conclusion this week, so that a reunited Cyprus may accede to the European Union. The Secretary-General has asked the two sides to be available in Copenhagen later this week should that prove necessary.

"Cyprus has a rendez-vous with history", said the Secretary-General in his letter. "It should not be missed.""

[02] President Clerides receives Pat Cox and Thomas Weston

Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Cox said that President Clerides had presented to him the main points of a number of issues of the UN solution plan that he wished to negotiate on. "It is clear", Mr. Cox said, "that he [President Clerides] would like before any settlement to be able to establish the capacity to find an interlocutor in the process".

Asked if he felt more encouraged now that an agreement was possible prior to the Copenhagen Summit, the European Parliament President replied that it was not up to him, but up to the parties involved and the UN.

He noted that politics was about never giving up hope, and voiced his wish for a reunited Cyprus to sign the Accession Treaty in April 2003, in Athens.

"The ideal would be for a settled Cyprus that would express itself in a single legal international personality joining the EU, but we do not live in heaven. The ideal is not always available, but we should try first", Mr. Cox said.

Invited to say whether a solution was still not a precondition for Cyprus' EU accession, he made reference to the relevant Helsinki presidency conclusions, underlining that the EU position on the matter had not changed.

"The decision will be taken on Cyprus with no external veto and we know how to interpret that and bearing in mind all relevant factors and we are now dealing with what that context phrase means", he added.

President Clerides later met with the US State Department's Special Coordinator for Cyprus, Mr. Thomas Weston.

After the meeting, Mr. Weston told the press that he and the President had "as usual, an exceptionally good and productive meeting".

"We talked about every issue of substance necessary to more forward. We are looking forward to a very productive week both here and at Copenhagen", the US official added.

[03] Cyprus Foreign Minister holds contacts in Brussels

The two EU officials warmly congratulated Mr. Kasoulides, acknowledging the hard work accomplished by the Cyprus Government in the harmonisation process with the acquis communautaire.

Mr. Verheugen, in particular, pointed out that Cyprus had become the first candidate country to complete the accession negotiations; a remark which led to a warm applause by the EU officials present at the meeting.

Cyprus has, therefore, closed all negotiating chapters of the EU acquis, with the exception of the issues of horizontal effect, of the Chapters of Agriculture and the Budget. These, however, will be agreed upon at the Copenhagen Summit, and their closing is considered a simple procedure.

[04] Greek Prime Minister confirms European support for Cyprus' accession

After his meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Mr. Jose Maria Aznar, the Greek Premier told the press that Mr. Aznar supported Cyprus' accession, along with the other nine candidate states, and the position that a solution of the political issue was not a precondition for the island's accession.

Mr. Simitis said that the Spanish Prime Minister felt that efforts to reach a solution should continue and after Copenhagen, if no agreement was reached by 12 December.

He noted that the overall assessment from his meetings was positive, adding that he perceived a common will among EU leaders for Cyprus to accede to the EU.

"This is something very positive both for Cyprus and Greece", Mr. Simitis said, "because in that way, issues concerning the island's security and the European cooperation in the region, in general, would be settled in such manner as to have better results in the future".

He emphasised that all EU leaders supported the relevant Helsinki decisions on Cyprus and that no one had mentioned that a solution of the Cyprus problem should be a precondition for accession.

"However, there are pressures flowing from the ongoing peace process and there is also the pending membership bid of Turkey, and in that sense, we must be careful and try until the very last moment", he concluded.

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