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Barroso: now is the time to solve the Cyprus problem
The President of the Republic Mr Demetris Christofias
had a private meeting today with the President of the European Commission Mr
José Manuel Barroso.
After the meeting,
President Christofias inter alia said: “I want to welcome the fact that Mr José
Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission is visiting Cyprus. We
had a very friendly meeting because Mr Jose Manuel is a man who, from the first
moment we met, expressed interest in Cyprus, in the case of Cyprus, but at the
same time, in Cyprus’ creative EU participation”.
“I promised that I would do whatever I can, together with Mr Talat, for
the reunification of our country, in order to rid Cyprus of this tragedy, to end
this tragedy, and to rid the EU of Cyprus’ problem. This is what I am trying to
do”, he said, adding that these were the reasons for which he had supported Mr
José Manuel Barroso’s reelection as President of the European Commission.
For his part, Mr Barroso expressed
appreciation for Mr Christofias’ sincere commitment and determination to find a
solution to the Cyprus problem, together with Mr Talat. The Commission’s
President said that now was the time to solve the Cyprus problem. He added that
the Commission and he personally supported the efforts of the two leaders in
every way possible but urged them to find a solution themselves. “We cannot make
the deal”, he noted. “That’s the point people have to understand. We can help
find a solution; we can support a solution; but it is up to Cypriots themselves
to find this solution,” the EC President stressed.
Prior to the meeting the two men participated in official
talks between the delegations of Cyprus and the European Commission.
Participating in the talks were also the Commissioner for Health Mrs Androula
Vassiliou, the Head of the European Commission Representation in Cyprus, Mrs
Androula Kaminara, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Markos Kyprianou, the
Government Spokesman Mr Stefanos Stefanou, the Presidential Commissioner Mr
George Iacovou and other officials. -25.06.2009.
Address by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Demetris Christofias, at the dinner in honour of the President of the European Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroso
Dear Mr. President José Manuel Barroso
Dear friend,
This is not going to be a speech but simply a warm
heart-felt welcome to a good friend of Cyprus and I would also say to a personal
friend.
In our first five years in the EU we were lucky to
have received the support and guidance of President Barroso in making our first
steps as a small country in the complex world of European institutions.
Inside the EU, even though one of the small members,
Cyprus aspires to be present and active in all institutions and to contribute to
the internal dialogue, as well as to the joint actions of the Union, which faces
many important challenges in various fields.
But I would like to make special mention and express
special appreciation for your personal interest and leadership in the problem of
Cyprus by means of the Commission’s Cyprus Steering Group responsible for
following the progress of the negotiations and for providing whatever assistance
may be needed and requested by the negotiating sides.
The involvement of President Barroso and of the
European Union is important because Cyprus is a full member of the Union and
needs to be able in the future as a united Federal Republic to continue to
function as an active participant in the decisions and actions of the
Union.
It is also important because the Union represents
values, freedoms and human rights which we believe in, and which we would like
to see implemented for our whole population, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots
alike. The benefits for the Turkish Cypriot Community from a reunified Cyprus
functioning in full compliance with EU laws and standards will be enormous.
There should be no permanent derogations, only limited temporary transitional
arrangements. Adapting quickly to the acquis and integrating fully in European
institutions, rather than seeking restrictions and exceptions, is the wisest
choice for our Turkish Cypriot fellow citizens.
Since the first day of my Presidency, I have tried my
utmost to break the old deadlocks and to open the way for an agreement leading
to reunification and to the withdrawal of foreign troops and illegal setters.
Mr. Talat and I have clarified that this agreement would be based on a bizonal,
bicommunal Federal Republic with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and
single international personality, with political equality as defined by the UN
Resolutions. The support of the EU and its member states is needed in order to
urge Turkey to accept this basis and not to insist on the creation of “a new
partnership of equal founding states” and on confederation.
In our efforts, from the very beginning I felt the
support and solidarity of President Barroso. As a token of our appreciation,
dear José Manuel, please accept this symbolic gift.
It is a copy of an Amphora vase from the 14th Century
B.C when Mycenean craftsmen and merchants were trading with Syria and the rest
of the Middle East using Cyprus as a bridge between East and West, Europe and
the Orient.
Dear José Manuel,
Thank you again and I wish you continuing success as
Head of the EU Commission, as well as personal health and
happiness. - 26.06.2009
Speech by the President of the European Commission, Mr José
Manuel Barroso, at the House of Representatives
Mr. President,
Mr.
Speaker,
Honourable Members,
Excellencies,
Ladies and
gentlemen,
It is a great honour for me to
address this House of Representatives today.
It is also a special pleasure to deliver this speech in Cyprus, a country
I admire for its long and varied history and its rich cultural heritage. Five
years after Cypriot accession, Cyprus is one of the most pro-European member
states and always a source of support for a stronger and more efficient European
Union. As President of the Commission, I am grateful for your support and your
contribution. Countries with the deepest commitment to Europe have the most to
offer.
My address here today confirms the
Commission’s commitment to give a greater role to national parliaments in
European politics. Since September 2006, we have put in place measures to closer
associate national parliaments to the European political process: all new
proposals and consultation papers are transmitted to the national parliaments
and they are invited to react and help us in the process of policy formulation.
This new Commission mechanism has been working in a smooth way. In less than two
years, the Commission has already received and responded to 478 opinions from
national parliaments.
Our
analysis of the results is very positive. Our contacts with national parliaments
suggest that this mechanism provides an opportunity for national parliaments to
take a more pro-active attitude about European issues, to reinforce their right
to information and to allow them to better scrutinize their own
governments.
Finally, the use by national
parliaments of this new mechanism is also a way for the EU to connect with
Europe's citizens. This is to remain a priority for the Commission; the citizen
must always be at the heart of our approach. And there can be no better
representatives of the citizens than Parliaments – both national and European.
Staying in touch with citizens means staying in touch with Parliaments. So, I
very much welcome this chance to speak to you.
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
Today we are in a very crucial
moment for Cyprus history: the whole International Community and Europe are
looking at you. They all expect a settlement and the re-unification of Cyprus.
For the European Union, this has been a major objective of the accession process
for Cyprus.
In 2004, all efforts to
re-unite the island failed. But immediately afterwards, the Foreign Ministers of
the European Union expressed their (I quote) "determination to ensure that the
people of Cyprus will soon achieve their shared destiny as citizens of a united
Cyprus in the European Union." GAERC conclusions
of 24 April 2004
Today you have another chance to solve the Cyprus problem. The leaders of
both communities, President Christofias – who is here today and I would like to
salute with respect and sympathy – and Mehmet Ali Talat are fully engaged in
talks under the auspices of the United Nations. They have decided to engage in
the solution of the Cyprus problem once and for all. I salute their courage,
determination and far-sightedness.
The
year 2009 should be the right moment to achieve a settlement. As you say in
Greek, ine
kairos, which
should not be missed. A settlement will bring enormous benefits to all Cypriot
citizens. This is the way we should look at this objective. We should look at
the potential political, economic and cultural benefits. I believe that this
generation of political leaders can solve the Cyprus problem. Our young
generation has grown up in a divided island. To them, it could seem almost like
normality. Something that they could take for granted and make them not so
driven to heal the wound.
I do not say
that the process will be easy; indeed, I recognise that it is extremely
difficult given past events. The past cannot be forgotten; nor should it be. But
nor should it stand in the way of progress. It can have a vote, but not a veto.
Europe met a similar challenge after the
disaster of the Second World War. The driving force behind the creation of the
European Community of Coal and Steel, and later the European Economic Community
in the 1950's, was not just the wish to achieve more economic prosperity; it was
also the deep desire to achieve reconciliation and lasting peace on the
continent. Today, the use of force or the threat of the use of force by one
member state against another is unimaginable.
Sixty years ago some of our member states were living in a dictatorship;
today, we all live in freedom. Twenty years ago, Europe was divided; today it is
reunited. This shows how far we have come.
What the founding fathers of the EU managed to achieve half a century
ago, you can achieve in Cyprus today. If you do, it would truly be a historic
achievement. An achievement which would send a message of hope to conflict
regions throughout the world. Cyprus would become a beacon to other regions with
longstanding conflicts.
The settlement
talks will soon enter a decisive phase. This requires imagination, flexibility
and, most importantly, a spirit of compromise. The word "compromise" should not
have negative connotations. Believe me: in the European Union it is the key word
for our every day business. The challenge is to look at compromise as an
opportunity to achieve progress. I am convinced that the leaders can strike a
deal where both sides come out as winners.
Turkey's constructive co-operation is essential to reaching a lasting
settlement. I have made this point when meeting President Gul and Prime Minister
Erdogan in recent months. They have assured me that Turkey is committed to a
solution to the Cyprus problem in line with the UN parameters. I take note of
these assurances. I believe the Turkish Government realises that a Cyprus
settlement would give a breath of fresh air to its negotiations with the EU. At
the same time, we have to remind Turkey, at every opportunity, of its obligation
to fully implement the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement, that is to
remove all restrictions on the free movement of goods with all member states
and, thus, to open its ports to all vessels coming from
Cyprus.
The settlement talks are, of
course, Cyprus-driven. The United Nations is doing its utmost to help you. The
European Union and its institutions are supporting Cyprus in this endeavour
towards re-unification. I follow closely the settlement talks and want to give
your every support needed.
And after
re-unification, Cyprus will not be left alone when implementing a settlement.
The EU is a Union of solidarity. We will help you meet the challenges of
re-uniting the country. Be assured: you will not walk alone. We will be on your
side.
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
We have in front of us new
challenges for the European Union, which are no longer on a continental, but on
a global scale. In the 21st century, we need a strong Europe to face
globalization with confidence and success. We have to deliver on a wide range of
important political and institutional decisions in order to be even better
equipped to face the global challenges.
Global warming, reductions in rainfall and the resulting scarcity of
water resources are huge challenges for an island such as Cyprus. You need to
turn the problems into opportunities. With European support, you could become
world leaders in water and environmental technologies.
Issues like climate change can only be dealt with at the EU
level. We have a very busy programme for the next five years. We seek to meet
our own ambitious climate change targets, while pressing for an ambitious
international agreement at the Copenhagen climate change talks.
I have mentioned already that the EU is a
Union of solidarity. That holds true also in the field of illegal immigration.
The European Council last week re-affirmed its commitment to solidarity in this
area. It also identified concrete measures to alleviate the immediate situation.
This includes actions to strengthen controls within the EU, and boosting
co-operation with the main countries of origin and transit. All these issues
will also have to be taken into account when the Swedish Presidency launches
discussions on the "Stockholm Programme" – the Commission's proposals for the
area of freedom, justice and security for the next years to come. On this, as on
the re-unification question, we will be at your side.
At the same time, we must continue to build an open,
competitive and prosperous Europe. A Europe that puts opportunity,
responsibility and solidarity at the heart of its policies. A social market
economy that invests in the future of European citizens and in social protection
and leads our economies out of the current crisis. It is in times like these
that we need more than ever a strong European Union with strong institutions,
able to work together. This is a moment to raise our ambition for the future,
not to lower it.
Ladies and
gentlemen,
For Cyprus, a settlement could
be a fresh start, the beginning of an exciting, new phase.
The task is difficult.
The
road is long.
But the prize is very big.
A Cyprus finally healed of its divisions will
be able to devote its energies to other pressing problems it faces. A Cyprus
that is finally able to realise its full potential as a pole of stability inside
the EU. A Cyprus that is at one with itself and able to make its full
contribution to the world.
That prize is
now within your grasp. The two leaders are on the right track. I believe in
them. I believe that they can – and will – make it! Please support them.
Because, if they fail, the moment will be gone, and there may not be another
opportunity for a very long time – if at all.
Let me conclude with a wish: a united
Cyprus in the EU Presidency in the second half of 2012. You can achieve it.
Thank you. - 25.06.2009 |
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