PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday called on the EU to take a more active role in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, arguing that the bloc needed to make clear that certain provisions of the Annan plan were not compatible with EU norms and regulations.
Speaking after official talks with Czech President Vaclav Klaus in Prague, Papadopoulos noted that the international community now better understood the positions of the Greek Cypriot side regarding the rejection of the Annan plan.
Cyprus needed the chance to explain its views after the great disappointment among European countries following the rejection. “Since then, we are in a continuous dialogue. Our positions are better understood,” he said.
Regarding the EU’s role in the Cyprus problem, he noted that three of the four protagonists were EU members (Cyprus Republic, UK and Greece) and Turkey wished to become one. “The EU must make clear that some provisions of the plan are not compatible with the acquis, and that would prevent us as a united Cyprus to perform our obligations to the EU.
“Our arguments to change those provisions have not proven to be very convincing because the other side was happy with the plan that satisfied most of its claims,” he added.
Papadopoulos, accompanied by First Lady Fotini, Foreign Minister George Iacovou and Commerce Minister George Lillikas, visited his Czech counterpart, Klaus, as well as Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross, Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Lubomir Zaoralek and President of the Senate Premysl Sobotka.
The first port of call for the visiting President was the Prague War Cemetery, where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who lost their lives during the Second World War, are buried next to each other.
“It is a symbolic gesture on my behalf, in order to underline that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy, and against oppression and fascism. It was a time when both communities could fight for these ideals, without any intervention of nationalism and chauvinism, that foreigners spread later among our people,” said Papadopoulos.
He laid a wreath at the Monument of the War Dead and a red carnation on the graves of all 17 of the Cypriot dead.
“Our goal is the same and I believe that soon the message will go across, that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can look forward to a prosperous common motherland, which will be reunited in terms of geography, economy, society and institutions. Then a promising future for Cyprus will be built,” he said.
