GREEK Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis yesterday called for cautious steps leading to a resumption of Cyprus talks, saying that another failure could not be afforded.
Karamanlis was speaking in Athens after a meeting with President Tassos Papadopoulos, who travelled to the Greek capital on Tuesday to discuss the way forward following his meeting in Paris last month with UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan.
Karmanlis said the Paris meeting had been “particularly important”.
“It was a positive development in the right direction and a step in the framework of the positions we have repeatedly pointed out,” he said.
During the Paris meeting, the Greek Cypriot side had agreed to low-level contacts with the Turkish Cypriots through technical committees on everyday issues.
However, some controversy later arose as to what the committees would be discussing after Papadopoulos said such high-level issues as Varosha and demilitarisation would be on the agenda.
The UN later clarified, after the Turkish Cypriots denied such a move, that Papadopoulos and Annan had merely said that any progress on these issues would also be “beneficial”.
Karamanlis said the results of the Paris meeting had been “analysed” with Papadopoulos. The meeting, he said, laid down the foundation “for a more careful approach to reach the desired result”.
“The resumption of the negotiations should be done with very careful steps and on the basis of a well-prepared procedure without arbitration or suffocating timeframes,” he said, echoing the positions of the Greek Cypriot side. “We do not the luxury to have another failure,” Karamanlis added.
Karamanlis said any solution must be in line with relevant UN resolutions and should take into consideration new facts such as Cyprus’ accession to the EU.
”The Republic of Cyprus has shown once again that it remains dedicated to accomplishing a comprehensive, just and viable solution. It is up to the Turkish side now to show the appropriate spirit of co-operation,” he said.
Commenting on Turkey’s own EU accession, Karamanlis repeated that Ankara had obligations it had undertaken on a European level.
“These are clear and the European Union is waiting for their fulfilment,” he said, referring to Turkey’s refusal to implement the customs union with Cyprus and allow Greek Cypriot air and sea traffic into its ports and airports.
Papadopoulos said that on this issue there was an EU decision that during 2006 and after the Commission’s report, there would be a review of Turkey’s attitude.
”It is an issue that concerns the EU as a whole, the measures it can take,” he said. “Our strategy is to enlighten and convince Turkey that it should fulfil the obligations undertaken towards the European Union, and of course towards Cyprus,” he added.
Responding to questions relating to the US push for direct trade between the north and the EU, Papadopoulos said
“It is the firm policy of the US, and in my opinion they wrongly believe that reunification will come with direct trade with the Turkish Cypriots. Their position, however, does not seem to be supported by others,” Papadopoulos said.
