Gay Mitchell
Question:60 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of the European Union in seeking to bring about a united Cyprus. [9958/03]
Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.
The negotiations on the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union gave impetus to the peace talks sponsored by the United Nations for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. I regret that, so far, the UN talks process has not succeeded. The most recent session of these talks, in The Hague on 10-11 March, failed to reach agreement. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus will sign the Treaty of Accession to the EU on 16 April. As matters stand, application of the terms of the treaty will be applied only in those areas of the island that are under the Government's control.
I wish to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and his special adviser, Alvaro de Soto, in the search for a settlement of the Cyprus problem. They have been engaged in intensive rounds of peace talks since December 1999. In November 2002, the Secretary General conveyed a detailed peace plan to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides, as the basis for further negotiation. In early December, following comments by both sides, he produced a revised plan, with a view to agreement by 28 February 2003, which would have enabled the necessary arrangements to be made for the accession to the EU of a united Cyprus.
The Copenhagen European Council in December 2002 stated its strong preference for the accession of a united Cyprus and undertook to accommodate the terms of a settlement in the Treaty of Accession. It also confirmed that, in the absence of a settlement, the application of the Union's laws and regulations to the northern part of the island would be suspended. The Council welcomed the commitment of both sides to continue to negotiate on the basis of the Secretary General's proposals.
Despite the efforts of Secretary General Annan, who visited Ankara, Athens and Cyprus between 23 and 26 February with the aim of brokering agreement, it became clear that agreement would not be forthcoming. On 27 February, the Secretary General invited the newly-elected President of Cyprus, Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Rauf Denktash, to come to The Hague on 10 March, and to commit themselves to holding separate referenda on 30 March 2003 on a new revised peace plan. Regrettably, agreement did not prove possible.
At its meeting on 20-21 March 2003, the European Council regretted that Secretary General Annan's efforts to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem had failed. It reaffirmed its decisions at Copenhagen regarding the accession of Cyprus to the EU. The European Council strongly supported the continuation of the Secretary General's mission of good offices and of continued negotiation on the basis of his proposals. It urged all parties to continue to work for a comprehensive settlement and, in particular, called on the Turkish Cypriot leadership to reconsider its position on the negotiations.
I continue to believe that a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem can be found if all parties take the necessary steps and make the difficult compromises required. The Secretary General will report to the Security Council on the situation this week, and the European Union will continue to give its full support to his efforts.