UNOFFICIAL “brainstorming meetings” were held in Brussels on Monday and yesterday in a bid to achieve a breakthrough in the EU’s decision to end the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.
Luxembourg presidency sources told the Cyprus Mail that the Presidency, the Council, the Commission, representatives of the Cyprus government as well as Turkish Cypriots “invited as individuals” took part in the meetings.
The source was extremely careful not to give the Turkish Cypriots a formal status and kept on underlining it was a “very informal meeting, a brainstorming meeting.”
According to information, the Cypriot government was represented by the head of the President’s Diplomatic Office, Tasos Tzionis, while the Turkish Cypriots were lead by Rasit Pertv, of Talat’s office.
The Presidency source said the aim was “to discuss certain technical aspects of the General Affairs Council on April 26 2004 (immediately after the referendum), rapprochement between the two communities on the island and also look at the possibility to improve the economy in the part of the island not under the control of the Cyprus government.”
The source did not want to comment on the substance nor on the prospects of this new effort, but it is expected the two parties will reflect on the discussion and come back with their view.
Last month diplomatic and EU sources had told the Mail that the Luxembourg Presidency wanted to make a last ditch attempt to achieve an agreement on the two regulations, stalled before the Council, providing for direct trade between the EU and the north and financial aid of 259 million euros to the Turkish Cypriots.
It was going to try and come up with acceptable ideas, also taking into consideration the Cyprus government’s proposal for the opening of the Famagusta port, under both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Apparently, this initiative suited most interested parties. Nicosia preferred having Luxembourg deal with the issue, while on the other hand London did not want to handle it when it takes over the EU helm in July.
When a country is in the Presidency it usually has to be objective and distance itself from its own positions.
The two regulations for the Turkish Cypriots are stalled in the Council for the past few months. Agreement was reached on the aid regulation, but Britain and other countries backing the Turkish Cypriots are not accepting its decoupling from the direct trade regulation. On its part, the Cyprus government does not accept direct trade as it considers it as a form of recognition of the occupied north.
However, if there is no decision soon some of the 259 million euros, mainly slated for infrastructure, will be lost.
