Cyprus Chairman of House Foreign Committee briefs British MPs

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Averof Neofytou met here Thursday a British Parliament delegation and discussed with them the Cyprus problem.

British MPs Jim Sheridan and Alan Meale, in Cyprus to attend a meeting of overseas Cypriots, were briefed by Neofytou on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus issue.

In statements after the meeting, Neofytou said that during the meeting he highlighted the willingness of the Greek Cypriot side to reach a just and lasting solution in Cyprus, divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

He stressed that the Greek Cypriot side cannot accept any foreign intervention as far as a solution is concerned neither can it accept an imposed settlement.

The solution, he said, must be found between the Cypriots themselves and “should meet the expectations of the Greek Cypriots”.

Moreover, Neofytou stressed the responsibilities of Great Britain towards Cyprus, given the fact that Britain is a permanent UN Security Council member and one of the three guarantor powers of the Republic of Cyprus (the other two being Greece and Turkey).

“During the meeting, we asked for their understanding regarding our position that we will not accept the continuation of guarantor and intervention rights by third countries, especially bearing in mind that Cyprus, Britain and Greece are EU member states and Turkey aspires to become one. They showed understanding”, he said.

Neofytou added that Cyprus expects certain policies “that would support this just position”.

The British MPs have also been received by President of the House of Representatives Marios Garoyian and Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou. No statements were made after these meetings.