EU Greens delegation call on Cyprus to ‘stop playing games’

European Greens on a visit to Cyprus yesterday called on Greek Cypriots to stop playing games and submit the changes they want to the Annan plan to the UN.

“One year after the rejection of the plan we expect to see what direction the Cyprus government wishes to go,” said the Dutch head of the delegation Joost Lagendijk, who is also Chairman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.

The delegation, which is in Cyprus at the invitation of the Cyprus Green Party had a meeting yesterday with President Tassos Papadopoulos and House President Demetris Christofias.

Speaking to reporters Lagendijk said at this stage it should be evident what changes were needed to the Annan plan. “It is time to stop playing these games,” he said, adding that there was not one member of the European Parliament that wanted to see Cyprus continue its current division.

However he did urge caution against rushing into talks until it was certain they would reach a successful conclusion but said no movement could begin until the changes sought were put in writing.

The government says submitting details of the changes would give away its negotiating position although it is also a prerequisite from UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan for the resumption of talk.

Annan was quoted as saying yesterday that if there was a possibility of a new initiative it was at a very early stage and was not certain whether sending en envoy might be useful. There was speculation however that he might call the sides to New York for a meeting after the presidential elections in the north next weekend.

Foreign Minister George Iacovou and yesterday urged Annan to send an envoy to talk with the two sides. Both he and the government spokesman said Annan’s statements were not discouraging.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.