Cyprus President criticises US stance

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos accused the US of having unclear positions on the Cyprus problem on Thursday.

Speaking at Larnaca Airport prior to his departure for Paris, he said that until recently the US was saying the solution of the Cyprus problem is the Annan Plan with slight modifications.

“Today some people say that it is possible to have some changes that will meet the rational concerns of the Greek Cypriot side and some say that these changes must be agreed,” he said, adding that the positions of the US are not clear.

As regards his visit to Paris Papadopoulos said that there are no measures in the EU for the imposition of sanctions on Turkey for the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the Export Control Organization and the application of Cyprus to become an observer member in the Black Sea Countries Organisation.

He said that in 2006 when an EU evaluation of Turkey will take place “this will be noted as a point against Ankara and then decisions will be taken by us and by the European Union.”

Referring to the violation by Turkish occupation forces of the status quo in Louroutzina, where Turkish forces have infringed the Green Line, Papadopoulos said that a protest was made the day after the violation to UNFICYP (the United Nations Force in Cyprus) and that this was followed by other representations and actions by the Cyprus government.