EIB interested in helping finance Famagusta rebuild, Turkish Cypriots say

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is discussing the issue of carrying out a financial analysis regarding the occupied city of Famagusta and the fenced off area of Varosha, Turkish Cypriot press reported on Tuesday.

In statements Kibris, Serdar Atai, chairman of the Within the Walls Famagusta Association (MASDER) and activist of the Famagusta Initiative, said that a delegation headed by EIB’s president, Werner Hoyer toured the occupied port of Famagusta, and within the walls.

More visits were set to follow, and the bank is willing to grant loans, the report said.

“The leaderships of the two sides have announced that Varosha will be returned on the next day after the solution,” said Atai. “The jobs to be done in a city to be returned should be planned and ready. The bank officials want to see such a thing to happen from the point of view of the credit purposes and we want this so as not to waste time”.

Atai said that as a first step, a multinational technical delegation of experts should be granted to possibility of having access to Varosha. “Moreover, these experts should stop by the port and the within the walls area and even the university area and prepare an analysis on the needs for the future and a financial chart. We have conveyed this to them,” he added.

Stressing the importance of technical experts entering into Varosha and start working the soonest, Atai said: “We especially support the American experts. The American experts have serious experience in post war areas such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. We support having German experts as well.

Germany has serious experience regarding divided cities like Berlin. We argue that Famagusta also is a divided city and such experts are needed here”.

Atai said that the EIB delegation told them that the financings for 2016 had ended, but if financial resources were to be granted for 2017, a financial analysis would be needed.

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