European Green Party urges Cyprus leaders to continue negotiations

The European Green Party has urged Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to ''continue uninterrupted the difficult second phase of direct negotiations, aiming at a comprehensive agreed settlement as soon as possible, which will be viable and long lasting, reunite the country and people of Cyprus, demilitarise the island and respect the human rights of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots as these are safeguarded in the EU''.

In a resolution, adopted unanimously during the European Green Party 11th Council Meeting in Malmo, Sweeden, on October 16-18, the Party also urged Christofias and Talat to implement the agreed confidence building measures and engage the EU as a facilitator for the achievement of the solution.

Moreover it urged them to prioritise, in the context of the confidence building measures, the protection of the natural environment of Cyprus as a whole (unified ecology). Such measures include the extension of the ''Natura 2000'' programme to areas of unique beauty and native habitat in the whole of the island, including areas such as Akamas (on the northwest) and Karpasia (on the northeast).

A delegation of the Cyprus Greens Party participated in the meeting and handed over to all delegates a letter by the Party Secretary General Ioanna Panayiotou, who refers to the forthcoming evaluation of Turkey's EU accession course by the European Council, noting that it is now the time for Turkey to substantially and in deeds, not just words, support efforts to find a Cyprus settlement and to fulfill the obligations it has undertaken towards Cyprus and the EU.

She also said that her party expects the support of the European Greens during this significant period ''so that we can hope for positive results for the solution of the Cyprus problem''.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Peace talks between Christofias and Talat began in September 2008, with a view to find a mutually acceptable solution to reunite the country under a federal roof.