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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-12-17
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Wednesday, 17 December 2003 Weston: Turkish Cypriots have voted in
favour of solution and EU accession
[02] "Elections" should be used to move UN-led peace process forward, says
British Premier
[03] British MEPs call for settlement following outcome of T/C voting
[01] Weston: Turkish Cypriots have voted in favour of solution and EU
accession
The US State Department's Special Coordinator for Cyprus, Mr Thomas Weston,
noted that at last Sunday's voting in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus,
Turkish Cypriots had voted in favour of a solution of the Cyprus problem
and EU accession, adding that "a clear majority also voted for the Annan
plan and putting the Annan plan to a referendum, despite many reports of
pressures being exerted". Speaking yesterday in Athens after a meeting with
Greek Foreign Minister Mr George Papandreou, Mr Weston said the voting
results constituted a "clear expression by Turkish Cypriots of what they
want the future to be" and urged all political parties in the north to take
that expression into consideration and move forward with the peace process,
by demonstrating the necessary political will that the UN Secretary-General
had requested in order to resume his good offices mission in Cyprus.
The US envoy referred to his visit to Cyprus, saying he would hold talks
with all the participants of the voting process in the north in order to
discuss ideas of how to move forward with the efforts for a settlement. Mr
Weston also said he had a very useful conversation with the Greek Foreign
Minister, during which the "great coincidence of views" was asserted. On
his part, Mr Papandreou thanked the US envoy for his involvement and
interest in the resolution of the Cyprus problem. He also pointed out that
Turkish Cypriots had sent an "optimistic message" in favour of a reunited
Cyprus joining the EU, and added that it was now a matter of what that
message meant in practice. "We are now looking forward to, as soon as
possible, a new phase and that is the resumption of the negotiations and
hopefully, again as soon as possible, a solution in Cyprus", Mr Papandreou
further noted. Mr Weston arrives in Cyprus today and is expected to have
meetings this afternoon with President Papadopoulos and the Foreign
Minister, Mr George Iacovou. He will depart on Friday.
[02] "Elections" should be used to move UN-led peace process forward, says
British Premier
"It is important that we try to use the "elections" to move forward on the
terms set out by the United Nations Secretary-General", the British Prime
Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has noted, replying to a question on Cyprus put
forward by MP Mr Roger Gale (Con) during a European Council debate, last
Monday at the House of Commons. Mr Blair further said that the UK would
work towards a solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the terms set
out by the UN Secretary-General. He added that no solution would in no way
impede Cyprus' accession to the EU, but "undoubtedly it makes life much
easier if we can have unity". "I hope very much, on the basis of the
"elections" that took place at the weekend, that we are able to make
progress", he also noted. In addition, during his speech before the House
of Commons on the European Council debate, Mr Blair stressed that despite
the current impasse on agreeing on a European Constitution, the EU would
continue to function under the existing treaty framework and enlargement
would take place as planned, on 1 May 2004, with eight central European
states, and Cyprus and Malta.
[03] British MEPs call for settlement following outcome of T/C voting
British Euro Parliamentarian Mr Charles Tannock, referring to the result of
Sunday's voting in the occupied north of Cyprus, called on the President of
the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, to appeal to Turkish Cypriot leader Mr
Rauf Denktash to resume the UN-led peace negotiations urgently. Speaking on
Monday at the European Parliament Plenary, Mr Tannock said the result of
the voting was "insufficient to oust Mr Denktash, who actively opposes the
generous UN Annan plan to reunify the island in time to join the EU next
May". Mr Tannock asked the EP President "to appeal to Mr Denktash to
reopen negotiations urgently and accept that the huge swing against him in
the "election" indicates a desire by his impoverished people for a
settlement on the island".
Furthermore, British MEP and member of the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary
Committee Mr Chris Davies has issued a news release in which he welcomed
the result of the voting in the occupied areas "that saw pro-EU parties
increase their share of the vote from 28.8% to 50.29%". Mr Davies said that
the opposition parties had scored a remarkable victory "in the face of
political intimidation and blatant last-minute rigging of the electoral
roll to include thousands more Turkish settlers". He also noted, "Turkish
Cypriots feel that the intransigence of Rauf Denktash is leaving them
trailing further and further behind their Greek Cypriot neighbours, and at
risk of their cultural identity being swamped by Turkish settlers. Against
all the odds they have now voted to end the island's division and for the
whole of Cyprus to take a step forward together". The British MEP called on
Turkey to take practical steps to end the division of the island "as the
price to be paid for talks beginning about its own membership of the
EU".
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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