Cyprus-Forum.com

by **joe** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:36 pm

From the UN website:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?N ... yprus&Cr1=

UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus extended through mid-December

Security Council
15 June 2007 – The Security Council today extended the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) through mid-December while noting the current stalemate on the issue.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council also reaffirmed that the “status quo is unacceptable, that time is not on the side of a settlement, and that negotiations on a final political solution to the Cyprus problem have been at an impasse for too long.”

The resolution referred to a July 2006 Agreement “stressing that a comprehensive settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation and political equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions, is both desirable and possible and should not be further delayed.”

In a report released earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended the extension of UNFICYP’s mandate, and the Council today echoed his “firm belief that the responsibility of finding a solution lies first and foremost with the Cypriots themselves.”

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Why Turkey is not interested in July 8 accord from the Cyprus Weekly:

Turkey ’not interested’ in implementing July 8 accord

PRESIDENT Papadopoulos has said that the Turkish side is not genuinely interested in implementing the July 8 agreement, which aims at preparing the ground for substantive talks for a Cyprus settlement.
In an interview with the Athens News Agency and the Macedonian News Agency, President Papadopoulos expressed the view that the Turkish side seeks to bring back the Annan Plan with "only cosmetic changes."
The UN blueprint was rejected by an overwhelming majority of Greek Cypriots in the April 2004 referendum.
Papadopoulos repeated his view that the July 8 (Gambari) agreement offered the only way out of the protracted stalemate.
The two sides reached an understanding ad referendum last March on the composition and agenda of the proposed technical committees and working groups.
Dictated
But the Turkish side pulled out of the deal "because it wants to disengage itself from the Gambari process because it leads away from the Annan Plan. This policy is dictated by Ankara and we know this with certainty."
He said substantive talks on core issues of the Cyprus problem should begin after good preparation.
"A good preparation of the talks on the main aspects of the Cyprus issue, is needed in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement. Our policy is to implement the 8 July agreement, which, in my view, is right now the only available way to move forward,'' he said.
So far, he said, the representatives of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot leaders, have held around 40 meetings but no progress has been achieved.
Upgrade
President Papadopoulos expressed the view that the Turkish side seeks to upgrade the pseudo state in the north, through the so called EU "direct trade" regulation, for trade between the Turkish Cypriots and the EU countries.
This regulation should lead to economic integration and the island’s reunification. "Therefore, we have every legal right to reject any provision in this regulation that does not serve reunification.
"It becomes more and more obvious to many countries now that the Turkish side, through this regulation, aims at gaining political and not economic benefits," he stressed.
Papadopoulos dismissed suggestions that he was seeking a solution "in the depth of time."
He borrowed a phrase frequently used by former President George Vassiliou that "we would like a solution yesterday."
The President also rejected Opposition charges that his policies tended to consolidate the island’s partition.
The conditions promoting the island’s division were created by the Turkish side and the continuing occupation, he pointed out.
"We are struggling with every available means to avert partition which Cypriot Hellenism will never accept."
Interest
He noted that all five permanent members of the UN Security Council supported fully implementation of the July 8 agreement. This constituted real international interest in promoting a Cyprus settlement. But the Turkish side refused to talk, he said.
He said that he will meet with new UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in September during the UN General Assembly session.
Invited to comment on reports that Washington is considering to put on the negotiating table a new plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem, the President said he had no information on the issue, adding that "the international community is not referring to the Annan Plan anymore".
He said US Under-Secretary of State Richard Burns had announced in March that he wished to visit Cyprus.
"We stated he would be welcome any time he considers appropriate."
"The Annan Plan is considered to be a Plan of the past, it belongs to history. There is no indication that the US might want the Annan Plan to be brought back on the table, with or without changes, or to submit a new plan,'' he said.
Elections
Regarding the forthcoming presidential elections of February 2008, the President said the will take his decisions as to whether he will run again for the Presidency in due time and after taking into consideration the positions of the political parties, which support the government. AH

by **humanist** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:23 am

NO progress will be achieved because the Turks dodn't want changes.

Where is Britain and America? Why dodn't they do something about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus? Why are they not intervening as they have with Iraq? Cause Cyprus got NO Oil yet.