There
is a gap with regard to the positions of the Greek Cypriot side and
those of the Turkish Cypriot side on the Cyprus issue, the President
of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, said today, noting,
nevertheless, that the shield for our side is the content of the
joint communiqué.
The
President of the Republic pointed out that by Monday, when he will
meet with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, there will be
a comparison of the Turkish proposals in relation to the joint
communiqué, and a relevant document will
be given to the UN Secretary General with whom President Anastasiades
will meet on 2 April in Brussels.
Speaking
today, at the Presidential Palace, to students and professors of the
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, President
Anastasiades said that following the assumption of his duties as
President he thought that there should be a review of the state’s
foreign policy, given the fact that Cyprus is a full member of the EU
and therefore cannot be outside the EU
as regards its broader policies and
political options.
The
President of the Republic also said: “We
sought to deepen and we have further deepened our relations with
Israel, an important country in our view. This has not lead in any
way to the rupture of the excellent relations that we maintain with
the Arab states. On the contrary, they are being strengthened through
the signing of agreements for the joint exploitation of natural gas
with Egypt, we are engaged in a dialogue with Lebanon, and we are
trying in every way to build even closer bonds, through personal
visits to the Arab states and Gulf countries.
At the same time, we sought to upgrade our relations with the USA. I
believe that we have achieved significant progress in our relations
and a more intense American interest for the creation of prospects
either for the implementation of confidence building measures or for
assisting in reaching a solution.
Simultaneously,
our presence in the EU, from now on, also
creates some other prospects. Although we have been an EU member
since 2004, the Union was present at the negotiations through an
essentially ‘invisible’ observer whose mandate was such that it
did not make the EU actively involved. So, there were certain goals
set. First was the resetting of our foreign policy without rupturing
our relations with traditional friends.
The
upgrading of our relations with the United States did not, in any
way, affect our excellent relations with Russia,
with which historical bonds bind us along with a consistent support
at the Security Council. Today, especially in view of the economic
crisis, the role of investments, due to tourism and other sectors, is
being upgraded, even of the defense planning which has been linked
from the past to Russian industries. Moreover, the financial support
of €2.5 billion we have received from Russia is something that
cannot be overlooked.
We
have achieved a multidimensional foreign policy, we have achieved at
the same time, through the targets we have set, the upgrading of the
representative of the European Commission
on the Cyprus problem, who will from now on advise the two sides with
regard to the compatibility of the proposals that are put forward
with the European acquis, the European principles and values, human
rights, and the four fundamental freedoms.
In
light of the statements by Mr Eroglu about two sovereign states, we
said that a new framework of negotiations should be secured through a
joint communiqué which would adopt the positions. We managed to
incorporate in this joint communiqué the basic ingredients of what
we seek, in other words, that the primary effort is for the Republic
of Cyprus to evolve into a bizonal, bicommunal state, but with
respect, throughout its entire sovereign territory, for the European
principles, values, the acquis, human rights, fundamental freedoms,
with one single sovereignty, one single citizenship and one single
international personality.
At the
same time, the joint communiqué also
provides for a series of other protective positions for the Greek
Cypriot side, namely that no tight timetables are being set, that
arbitration is not allowed, that nothing is being agreed unless
everything is agreed, that the agreement can, under no circumstances,
not be the product of the two communities leaders’ free will, and
lastly, of course, that the solution can only be adopted by the
people, not by the leaders.
Another
element that we have wished for it to give a new impetus to the
dialogue are substantive confidence building measures. We have
achieved even for President Obama in his statement following the
joint declaration of the leaders of the two communities, to
explicitly say that confidence building measures will provide new
impetus. So did the EU and a host of other states.
For
several weeks now, we have entered into a substantive dialogue. The
first positions of the sides have been tabled. I have to be honest, I
have to say what is being reported. There is a gap. I wish to believe
that these are simply the first positions and that some
clarifications will follow. But the shield for our side is the
content of the joint communiqué. By Monday, when I will meet with Mr
Eroglu, a comparison of the Turkish proposals in relation to the
joint communiqué will have been made, as to where the consistencies
lie, but also to what extent do the proposals come into conflict with
it. Therefore,
this document, which will be explained to Mr Eroglu, will be also
given to the UN Secretary General with whom I will meet on 2 April in
Brussels, as well as to all interested parties, namely the different
states that show an interest or that are permanent members of the
Security Council.
I hope
that the declarations of good intentions by Turkey, as well as by the
current leadership of the Turkish Cypriot side, will be reflected in
practice with specific actions that will enable us, as soon as
possible, to liberate and reunite Cyprus and to create a modern
European state so that we have a perspective, regardless of the
origin or religion of any citizen legally residing in Cyprus. Natural
gas is, of course, an incentive which enhances the geostrategic role
of Cyprus. We will not leave any means untapped so as to assert our
rights."
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