Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

President Mehmet Ali Talat, who is continuing his contacts in Sweden as guest of the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, has asked the country’s support for the implementation of the Direct Trade Regulation.

The President met the Swedish Foreign Minister at a working dinner last night during which the two leaders discussed the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, as well as the Turkish Cypriot People’s relations with the EU and the removal of its international isolation.

Speaking to reporters after the dinner, President Talat said that
Mr Bildt knows the difficulties being experienced by the Turkish Cypriot people very well and that he expressed support for the implementation of the Direct Trade Regulation.

For his part, Mr Bildt underlined the need for the immediate start of negotiations aimed at providing a solution to the Cyprus problem.
The President and the Swedish Foreign Minister evaluated the latest developments on the Cyprus issue during their discussions at the working dinner.

Answering reporters’ questions at the end of the dinner, President Talat said the Greek Cypriot Administration has the opportunity to explain its own views on the Cyprus issue in all EU institutions thanks to its unilateral EU membership.

Calling his talks with the Swedish Foreign Minister as very useful, the President stressed that his contacts in the country gave him the opportunity to explain the Turkish Cypriot People’s perspective on various issues and its response to the views being expressed by the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Mr Talat stated that the impact of the international isolation on the Turkish Cypriot People was also discussed in detail and that Mr Bildt expressed his full support for the implementation of the Direct Trade Regulation.

Also speaking to reporters at the end of the dinner, Mr Bildt described his meeting with President Talat as very useful and said they discussed a variety of issues, including the Gambari process and Turkey’s EU membership negotiations.

Answering a question on direct trade with North Cyprus, he reminded that the issue has been discussed within the EU in detail since the beginning of 2007 and expressed the belief that the regulation would be passed.

On the Gambari Process, he stressed the need for removing the difficulties being faced in the implementation of the process, adding that it should not be too difficult to be solved.

As part of his contacts in Stockholm, the President visited the grave of former Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme who was assassinated in 1986.

Later, the President come together with media representatives and briefed them on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.

He pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot People is still suffering under embargoes in spite of its approval of the UN peace plan in 2004 and said that this is unacceptable on the basis of the EU criteria.

The President also held bilateral meetings with members of the Swedish Parliament, Bjorn Hamilton and Urban Ahln.

Tonight, Mr Talat will attend a reception to be given in his honor by the Turkish Ambassador to Stockholm.

Today, Mr Talat will move on to Finland where he will meet with the Finnish Foreign Minister- Ilkka Kanerva.

He will also come together with the former Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Finnish parliamentarians as well as with some media representatives.

[souroul]

president who?