The government expects that European Commission President Jose Manuel Baroso will contribute to the Cyprus peace effort by ensuring that proposals put forward at the ongoing, UN-led talks, are in line with UN decisions on Cyprus, Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou has said.
In statements at Larnaca airport on Sunday, Kyprianou said the government expects Barroso to ensure that proposals presented at the negotiating table for a solution to the Cyprus issue conform with the kind of a solution which the Cypriot government is pursuing and which has been defined in Security Council resolutions and UN decisions, which is a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
Kyprianou was speaking before departing for Luxembourg to attend today’s General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting, which will focus on preparations for the June European Council later this week.
Invited to comment on the visit to Cyprus by Commission Vice President and Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, Gunter Verheugen, Kyprianou said that it takes place in the framework of the Commissioner’s duties related to industry and economic development in general, adding that it is “part of the visits of Commissioners to EU member states”.
Referring to Barroso’s visit to the island, Kyprianou said that is being planned and is part of visits to EU states for discussion on European matters. Barroso, the Minister added, will be leading the group which is dealing with the Cyprus issue which is made up of two Commissioners and other officials while the Commission President is closely monitoring the Cyprus issue himself. “We anticipate the Cyprus issue and the ongoing negotiations to be a large part of the discussions and the agenda of his visit”, he added.
Asked what the government expects from Barroso’s visit, Kyprianou said “we expect support for the talks, but not just that. The EU is supporting in a technical manner the ongoing negotiations. However, we expect his contribution to make sure that the proposals which are being tabled at the talks conform with the solution which we are pursuing and which has been defined in Security Council resolutions and UN decisions, for a bizonal, bicommunal federation”, he added.
This, he remarked, is the European position and we hope that Mr. Barroso’s contribution will secure that the specific proposals which will be tabled will refer to this form of a solution, he concluded.
Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in direct negotiations since September 2008, with a view to reunite the island.
