Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

The European Parliament’s High Level Contact Group for Relations with Turkish Cypriots has expressed full support to the new process started in Cyprus towards finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.

The group said it has committed itself to urge the European Union to make all possible efforts to support the process.

Speaking at a press conference, the Chairperson of the Group Francoise Grossetete said the two sides should continue the talks they started on the 21st of March.

Mrs Grossette said the Group came for the 6th time to Cyprus at a decisive moment in the search for a settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Welcoming the opening of Lokmaci Gate in the heart of Lefkosa as a symbolic move, she said `I believe Cypriots should not be contented with this and should move further to continue the negotiations they started on the 21st of March`.

She expressed the hope that progress would be achieved at work being carried out by working groups and technical committees and that an agreement would soon be reached to reunite the island.

Stressing that an unexpected opportunity has risen in Cyprus with the start of the new process, she called on the two sides to seize this opportunity to bring about an end to the Cyprus problem.

She noted that the Group would provide the necessary support to the new process and added that all, especially the European Union and the United Nations, have responsibility in helping the continuation of the process.

Deputy-Chairperson of the Group Mechtild Rothe, for her part, said members of the group were very pleased with the new positive atmosphere created in Cyprus.

She said that the Group wanted the cooperation established between the two leaders to continue in order to bring about an end to the problem.

Cem Ozdemir, a member of the High Level Contact Group, also spoke at the press conference and said that for the first time in Cyprus, there are two leaders who both trust each other and want to bring about a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Underlining the need to for good will gestures in order to achieve progress at the negotiations process, he said that the Turkish language should be accepted as an official EU language.

Last night, the High Level Contact Group hosted a reception at the Buyuk Han in Lefkosa.

The Slovakian Ambassador Anna Turnenicova, representatives of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties as well as civil society organizations from both sides attended the reception.

As part of its contacts in North Cyprus, members of the group were also received by President Mehmet Ali Talat.

They also joined a round table meeting of representatives of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties organized by the Slovakian Embassy.

[DT.]

As long as turkey and talat demand a 2 state solution and maintaining all settlers on the island...MEP's can support it all they want. Talat is leading these talks to a brick wall.