Christofias pledge on settlement
Christofias pledges to work for settlement
President addresses UN General Assembly for first time
President Christofias has reassured the world community of his "firm and deep-rooted" political will to work relentlessly for a settlement of the long running Cyprus problem.
In his first address to the UN General Assembly in New York as President of the Cyprus Republic, Christofias also sent three other important messages.
*A solution must be within the framework set out in UN Security Council resolutions, envisaging a bizonal, bicommunal federation with a single sovereignty.
*Turkey should contribute in a positive way to the peace process, since it keeps more than 40,000 troops and tens of thousands of settlers in Cyprus.
*Cypriots must be in charge of the process. The UN could help but should not try to impose a solution.
"Recent experience has shown that any attempt to impose, even to import, non-Cypriot inspired and improvised models will meet with rejection by the Cypriot people", he said, in an apparent reference to the Annan Plan, which was rejected by Greek Cypriots in the 2004 referendum.
The good offices mission of the UN Secretary-General meant negotiations in which the Cypriots themselves were the principal players, he stressed.
Mediation
"The Cypriots themselves must build the state they envision for their society. The role of the Secretary-General and of the international community is to assist and to support. Good offices is not arbitration. It is not mediation".
Christofias, as Greek Cypriot leader, began a new round of negotiations earlier this month with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Mehmet Ali Talat. They are to hold their next meeting on October 10 to continue discussion on the powers and functions of the proposed federal government. Other difficult issues lie ahead, ranging from property rights to the pullout of Turkish troops and settlers.
But Christofias was quick to point out that the Security Council resolutions on Cyprus should form the guideline of any settlement since they provide the "legal and political framework " within which the talks should move.
This framework, he reminded, prescribes a bizonal, bicommunal federation with single international personality, single indivisible sovereignty and single citizenship.
As defined by the Security Council, the principle of political equality meant " effective participation" of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in all organs of the federal state,
Compromise
Bizonal, bicommunal federation has been the only mutually agreed basis dating back to 1977 and reaffirmed as recently as a few weeks ago, he noted.
"It represents a compromise and indeed the only possible compromise".
Reuters news agency points out that the Cyprus stalemate is complicating Turkey’s bid to join the European Union. The European Commission has partially suspended Turkey’s membership talks with the bloc with a review slated for mid-2009.
Referring to the new round of peace talks President Christofias told the Assembly:
"On September 3, a new intensive effort started with the aim of overcoming the impasses of the past and achieving progress that would lead to the reunification of Cyprus under mutually agreed terms and to the withdrawal of foreign troops after 34 years of division and foreign occupation. For this effort to succeed what is needed is political will on the part of the Cypriots, but also the positive engagement of other important players which for historical reasons have been part of the problem and need to become part of the solution.
Co-existence
“For my part, I want to assure you from this podium that my political will to do what is necessary to solve the problem is firm and deep-rooted. My origins are in the popular movement of Cyprus which prides itself of a long history of struggles and indeed sacrifices in defence of friendship, cooperation and peaceful coexistence between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. On the other hand, I am one of those Cypriots that were deeply and directly affected by the foreign military invasion of 1974, because I myself and my family are internally displaced persons, refugees in our own country.
“The role of the Cypriots is to agree on what they want. This we must try to achieve with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mehmet Ali Talat. And I believe that we could achieve it.
“But this is not enough for achieving a solution. Turkey should contribute to the process in a positive way. Turkey still maintains over 40,000 troops and tens of thousands of settlers in Cyprus and can, without doubt, determine the outcome of the issues under discussion. We believe that the solution should benefit everybody and will benefit everybody.
“It would allow the Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to live together and work together in an independent prosperous country, within the family of the European Union, without the presence of foreign armies and illegal colonists, under conditions of security and respect for their identity and their rights."
SPELLING IT OUT: President Christofias addressing the UN General Assembly.
http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default. ... wsID=304_1
I knew he would make a great Presidente ........ those who are against human right will deplore you, but your honesty and will for a united Cyprus for all Cypriots irrespective of the linguastic and cultural background is unsurpassed thus far. Talat will never catch up to your integrity. Good on ya mate
You have understimated my taste in music am enjoying a jive on my living room floor. By Allah can yu live with yourself now that a Cypriot has enjoyed someting that you have posted.
