House President Marios Garoyian has warned those who still advocate a return to a failed UN solution plan – the Annan plan – that they will fail in their effort to help find a negotiated settlement in Cyprus.
“We tell those who wish to reintroduce the Annan plan, impose strict timeframes and arbitration on the ongoing UN-led process of direct negotiations, that they will fail yet again and the UN responsibilities, in such a case, would be great”, he stressed.
Called to comment on statements by Lynn Pascoe, UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs, that the current process is the best opportunity for a solution – with the exception of the Anan plan -, Garoyian said that “they should have learnt their lessons” from the rejection of that plan by the overwhelming majority of the Greek Cypriots.
“If the ask us to make further concessions and more compromises than those we have made since 1974, I would like to send them the message that they are making a mistake and they will fail as they have failed in similar cases in the past, the most recent case is the Annan plan in 2004”, he said.
The House President also pointed out that the Greek Cypriot side wishes to solve the Cyprus problem as soon as possible. “Of course, the most important thing is the type of the solution, and it is for that reason that we insist and say that in order to reach a settlement the soonest, Turkey should abandon a policy, a mentality and a behavior which contradict international law and EU principles and values”, he added.
Garoyian also said that those who want to see strict timeframes in the peace process and push for a solution as soon as possible regardless of content, they should exert pressure on the Turkish side.
“It is Turkey that violates international law, it is Turkey that retains troops in Cyprus, it is Turkey that violates human rights and political freedoms and it is Turkey that occupies European territory since 1974”, he stressed.
Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in UN-led direct negotiations since September 2008, with an aim to reunite the island.
