Cyprus President: No deviation from Gampari process

Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said that Turkish Cypriot leader and the Turkish side are interested only in confidence building measures (CBM), noting that the Greek Cypriot side is interested in the promotion and implementation of the July 8 Agreement.

He noted that the July 8 Agreement aiming at preparing the ground for substantive negotiations on the Cyprus question is supported by the Security Council, the UN Secretariat and the EU, adding that we should not deviate from this process just to discuss confidence building measures (CBM).

Speaking at Larnaca airport, on his return from Lisbon where he participated in the EU informal summit, President Papadopoulos said that during his meetings in the Portuguese capital he found that everybody believe in the Gambari process.

Asked on the possibility to meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, he noted that “we have asked for a meeting with Mr. Talat”.

Furthermore, President Papadopoulos stressed that the proposals he has submitted to the UN Secretary General clearly aim at promoting the UN-brokered agreement.

As regards the EU informal summit, President Papadopoulos said that the European Union leaders approved the EU Reform Treaty ending a discussion which started six years ago.

Noting that the agreement was welcomed by everybody, President Papadopoulos stressed that the success was the result of the efforts made by the German Presidency and the Portuguese Presidency.

The Portuguese Premier and President of the European Council Jose Socrates “has achieved what everybody thought would be impossible: an agreement of all on a Reform Treaty, which secures the efficiency of an enlarged Union”, Papadopoulos said.

On July 8, 2006, Papadopoulos and Talat reached an agreement in Nicosia, in the presence of UN official Ibrahim Gambari, aiming at preparing the ground for substantive negotiations on the Cyprus question, leading to a political settlement that would reunite the country, divided since Turkish troops invaded in 1974.