British High Commission regrets postponement of joint Forum

The British High Commission in Nicosia expressed regret today over the postponement of a Cyprus-British Forum, that was to have taken place this weekend as part of the London-Nicosia structured dialogue.

“We regret that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided that the meeting will not take place this weekend,” High Commission spokesman Nigel Boud has told CNA.

Boud expressed the British government’s will to continue “to look for opportunities to build upon and strengthen our relations” with Cyprus.

The Forum was planned to take place in the coastal town of Paphos, where a meeting was arranged between the Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Markoulllis and British Foreign Office Minister of State Kim Howells, responsible for the Middle East and Migration Policy issues.

In statements yesterday before departing for Serbia on a two-day official visit, Markoullis said “the meeting was scheduled to take place in the framework of efforts to improve relations between Cyprus and Britain”.

“Unfortunately”, she added, “this forum cannot take place as a result of the agreement, recently signed between the UK and Turkey”.

Last week, the Prime Ministers of Britain and Turkey, Gordon Brown and Tayip Erdogan respectively, signed in London a Strategic Partnership Agreement.

In the document, London and Ankara say they will work within the UN, the EU and bilaterally to promote direct commercial, economic, political and cultural contacts between the UK, the EU and the Turkish Cypriots.

They will also provide “continued help for ‘TRNC’ authorities/universities in their attempts to engage with the Bologna process” and will uphold “the right of representation of the Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament.”

The document prompted the reaction of the government of Cyprus which described it as “a negative development” and said it will act to protect its national interests.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.

The self proclaimed ‘state’ in occupied Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey. United Nations resolutions 541 and 550 call on all states not to recognise the Turkish Cypriot regime and to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.

Cyprus became a full EU member state in May 2004.