THERE is nothing to fall back on if Kofi Annan’s reunification plan is rejected by the Greek or Turkish Cypriots in separate referenda ahead of EU accession on May 1, UN Special Envoy Alvaro de Soto warned yesterday.
“We do not have a plan B, nor are we thinking about scenarios about what will happen,” De Soto said.
The UN plan provides for Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders to begin make or break talks tomorrow, and for both sides to hold referenda on any deal in April.
De Soto was speaking after talks in Brussels with EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunther Verheugen, De Soto yesterday shortly before leaving for the island.
He arrived in an upbeat mood and said he was ready to “roll up his sleeves,” in order to help both sides reach agreement on UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s plan.
“We are either there or very close (to a solution) already,” he said.
”What we have is a settlement that indeed can work. It is of course improvable, it can be improved. It can work and it is an honourable solution as well”, he said.
De Soto said the final decision to be taken by the people in separate referenda would be a decision that would have to taken based on the consciences of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
De Soto said Annan had gone out of his way to make clear that if the two sides want changes they would be look very carefully at them and that the UN would provide assistance to build bridges and to create trade-offs.
Government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides yesterday said the Greek Cypriot side was approaching tomorrow’s talks with optimism, underlining the EU involvement in the negotiating process.
Chrysostomides said the EU would work with the two sides to ensure that anything agreed was in line with its own demands.
“The commission will be involved in all phases of the negotiating procedure and Brussels will be at the disposal of the (UN) Secretary-general for any help or opinion,” the spokesman said.
Outgoing Greek foreign minister George Papandreou, on a one-day visit to the island, appealed for active EU involvement. The Turkish side opposes EU involvement in the talks.
Speaking after meeting President Tassos Papadopoulos, the newly-elected leader of Greece’s ruling socialist party PASOK said EU involvement, particularly that of the commission, was vital.
“These negotiations will be tough and difficult; but I think with the participation of the EU – which is in effect involved because Cyprus is a member of the EU – I think we can talk of a positive outcome,” Papandreou said.
But De Soto and Verheugen played down suggestions of an EU role other than finding solutions for problems relating to EU law and the need to accommodate a settlement with the acquis.
“A kind of institutionalised (EU) role or something like that is not necessary,” Verheugen said.
De Soto confirmed: “There is no provision for institutionalised participation of the European Union.”
“We are quite satisfied with both the level and the character of the co-operation,” the UN envoy added.
Verheugen, who is due on the island today, said the EU was ready to help in any way with the talks and stressed that EU experts would help ensure that the reunited Cyprus would be able to meet the legal requirements for membership.
Ankara and the Turkish Cypriots do not want EU experts to join the negotiations, arguing the bloc is not independent, as it has already agreed to accept Cyprus among its ranks.
The EU commissioner praised the “courageous” role of the Turkish government in supporting the reunification efforts, adding that its positive stance on Cyprus would contribute to Turkey’s own bid to open membership talks with the EU next year.
Papandreou made clear that Turkey’s hopes of EU membership could hinge on the outcome in Cyprus.
“As Greece we support Turkey’s accession. There are voices in the EU which are not in favour, but the EU was sincere when it decided… to give Turkey a chance,” said Papandreou.
His words were echoed by a German official speaking before Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s visit to Turkey next week.
“The EU cannot afford to import any problems when it takes on new members. It is fundamental the Cyprus question be solved before we talk about Turkey joining,” the German official said.
The hints were clearly heard in Ankara.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told a debate in the Turkish parliament on Cyprus: “Whether we like it or not, Turkey’s EU membership (bid) has been linked to Cyprus.”
“A Cyprus in which the Turkish Cypriot side is equal will be good for the Turkish Cypriots, good for Turkey and good for the European Union,” he said.
The EU is due to decide in December whether to open much-delayed accession talks with Turkey.
