By Jean Christou
COMMERCE and Industry Minister Kyriacos Christofi believes the 20-point plan for rapprochement drawn up by prominent businessman Constantinos Lordos will never be realised.
The Minister also believes that a businessmen’s seminar organised by the US in Brussels next month to help relations between the two sides will also prove a futile exercise.
Speaking on state radio yesterday, Christofi said the Cyprus problem could not be solved by trading with the Turkish Cypriots.
He said that both the Lordos points – agreed at a meeting between Greek and Turkish Cypriot businessmen in Athens last week – and any results from next month’s Brussels meeting set up by US Presidential emissary Richard Holbrooke could not be implemented.
“In my opinion these proposals cannot be realised under the current climate, ” Christofi said. “Because the policy of the Denktash regime and Ankara is not to allow any freedom of movement and communications.”
He said the Turkish Cypriot side did not want any approaches to begin because communications between Greek and Turkish Cypriots at any level would bring a wish for the two sides to be reunited.
At the same time, Christofi said that as along as the island remained divided, small trade exchanges of any kind would not bring people closer together.
“First the political problem must be solved and afterwards (we can have) the close co-operation between the residents of Cyprus – Greek and Turkish, ” Christofi said.
However, those who support a federal solution believe a groundwork of trust and co-operation must be laid before a solution is finalised.
Dr Andreas Theophanous, Director of Intercollege’s Research and Development Centre, told the Athens meeting the challenge would be to work towards constructing a system which would be the least costly and most efficient.
“Naturally on the day after a solution there will be, among other things, a battle between the forces of integration on the one hand and the forces of disintegration on the other, within each community and within Cyprus as a whole,” Theophanous said. “It is important that we take steps that will enable the forces of integration to carry the day.”
The Greek and Turkish Cypriot businessmen who met in Athens unanimously adopted the 20-point plan to kick start rapprochement.
The proposals aim for free and unhindered communication leading to a climate of elementary trust which would in turn be followed by a series of joint activities and programmes.
The businessmen agreed, however, that progress on these issues should be parallel with progress on the Cyprus problem.
The adopted proposals are expected to be put forward at the seminar in Brussels.
Christofi said the Brussels meeting was a US initiative, organised in the hope that this type of contact would bring the two sides together. “We are of the opinion it will not bring any results,” he said.
