Visit the Macedonia Homepage (by Nikolaos Martis) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-04-30

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/>

  • [01]Wednesday, 30 April 2003 National Council issues statement
  • [02] Pat Cox says "extraordinary events" take place in Cyprus

    [01] National Council issues statement

    The National Council - the President's top advisory body on the Cyprus issue - convened yesterday afternoon under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, to discuss the general policy regarding the package of measures for Turkish Cypriots, which the Government will announce later today and implement as from next Friday, 2 May 2003. The situation created from the partial lifting of restrictions on the free movement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots by the Turkish occupation regime was also evaluated. The National Council's assessments, as emerged from yesterday's meeting, are conveyed in a statement issued today. The statement expresses, inter alia, the National Council's belief that "the spontaneous, unprompted and very friendly behaviour of Greek and Turkish Cypriots in their recent contacts and meetings has shown in practice the undisputed possibility and sincere desire of the two communities to live together again and cooperate in a reunited country. The arguments of the occupation regime and Turkey that allegedly the Greek and Turkish Cypriots cannot live together and that the security of the two communities makes necessary the preservation of the dividing wall are refuted and demolished as entirely baseless." On the easing of restrictions on the free movement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, the National Council reaches the assessment that "Mr Denktash's recent decision to relax crossings, creating in this way the impression of goodwill on his part, has been dictated by a sense of the international and internal isolation in which he has found himself and the pressing impasse to which he has led himself through his provocative and unacceptable behaviour." The statement further stresses that "this specific action of the occupation regime does not constitute a sincere political will on behalf of the Turkish side for a solution to the Cyprus problem. On the contrary, it is an attempt to bypass the procedures and the framework of the United Nations and is an attempt to present the pseudo-state as a separate and sovereign state. The Turkish side has always been the only obstacle to a solution to the Cyprus problem, the side which rejects negotiations on the Annan Plan and does not display the necessary political will that will allow the UN Secretary-General to resume his efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem. The opening of the roadblocks is not the solution to the Cyprus problem. The seeming cracks in the wall of division do not mean the abolition of the dividing line imposed and maintained by Turkish troops by the force of arms." "The National Council calls on the Turkish side to return the Famagusta area to its legitimate inhabitants as provided for in the relevant UN resolutions, to implement the Third Vienna agreement regarding the enclaved, to cooperate effectively in ascertaining the fate of the missing persons, as agreed in July 1997, and to commit itself to the final withdrawal of the occupation troops and the demilitarization of Cyprus", the statement also reads, adding that the National Council is expecting the reply of the Turkish side. At the same time, it reiterates the Greek Cypriot side's "willingness and readiness to engage in immediate and substantive negotiations on the basis of the Annan plan in order to find a solution in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, as asked by the President of the Republic in his letter of 2 April 2003 to the Turkish Cypriot leader."

    [02] Pat Cox says "extraordinary events" take place in Cyprus

    The President of the European Parliament (EP), Mr Pat Cox, has described the crossings of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots across the ceasefire line on the island, following the partial lifting of restrictions on free movement by the occupation regime, as "extraordinary events" that are "tantamount to a people's revolution". Mr Cox was speaking at the meeting of the President of the European Parliament and the Presidents of Parliaments of the Accession and Candidate States in Brussels yesterday, during which the latest developments regarding the crossings in Cyprus were discussed. The EP President said that he took a "great sense of inspiration from the people's leadership that we are currently witnessing in Cyprus". "The people have spoken loud enough to be heard in Brussels, and I hope, in other centres of authority. The people want a settlement and the people want a settlement now. I hope that the political class can find the wisdom and the serenity to meet the people's aspirations", Mr Cox added. From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO)
    Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
  • Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    cypio2html v1.02 run on Wednesday, 30 April 2003 - 22:29:03 UTC