THE E.U. can accept any Cyprus solution as long as a united Cyprus respects the principles on which the EU is founded and is able to carry the obligations of EU membership, Brussels said yesterday.
Asked about reports on Thursday that a new state or ‘virgin birth’ would mean Cyprus reapplying for EU membership, Enlargement spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy told the Cyprus Mail the EU fully supported both communities on the island to make the necessary compromises for a solution.
“As and when issues within our competence arise in this context, the Commission stands ready to offer our advice,” she said.
Nagy’s statements appear to clarify the EU’s position that a new state of affairs in Cyprus would not mean reapplying for membership, and bears out comments by an EU diplomat on Thursday that Brussels would “bend over backwards” to help a Cyprus solution rather than complicate it further.
“The EU stands behind a renewed UN process,” Nagy said.
She said the Commission welcomed the meeting of the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus on May 23.
“Their joint statement shows that the process towards a settlement of the Cyprus issue under UN auspices is well under way. It is a positive sign that the leaders agree on the basic parameters of a united Cyprus as a ‘bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant Security Council resolutions’. This statement speaks for itself, it is not up to the Commission to interpret it,” Nagy added.
The government made it clear on Thursday there would no virgin birth and no confederation, only the continuation of the Cyprus Republic in the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with one single international personality, sovereignty and citizenship.
The Turkish side, however, does not want a united Cyprus to grow out of the existing Republic of Cyprus, and keeps referring to two states, two populations and two democracies.
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat came under fire from the Greek Cypriot side yesterday after reportedly telling Euronews in an interview that there were no Turkish mainland settlers in Cyprus.
Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday Talat often complained about statements that did not help confidence building between the two communities.
“While he is complaining, he does not resist the temptation to state unacceptable positions on substantial issues of the Cyprus problem,” Stefanou said.
