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22 September 2010 22:14
EP resolution satisfactory
NICOSIA - The Cyprus government has expressed its satisfaction with the approval of a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on EU trade and economic relations with Turkey.
Deputy spokesman Christos Christofides said that this is a positive resolution which provides advantages in our efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.
He noted that the government worked to achieve the approval of this resolution. Furthermore he praised the Cypriot MEPs, Greek MEPs, political groups and individual MEPs, “who contributed to the effort of our side.”
He said that paragraph 11 of the resolution was particular positive, as it noted that for the fifth consecutive year Turkey has neither fully implemented that Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement nor removed all the obstacles to the free movement of goods.
He also noted that in the same paragraph, Turkey is called in an explicit manner, to implement fully and without delay all its obligations deriving from this Protocol in an non-discriminatory way and it is recalled that failure to do so may further seriously affect the negotiating process.
Christofides also said paragraph 24 was important as it noted Turkey’s role in the Mediterranean region as a founding partner of the Barcelona Process and called on Turkey to fully respect all the states partners of the process.
The Deputy Spokesman also said that this resolution was also achieved due to the stance of the Cypriot government on the problem of Cyprus, which sends the message that “we are creative, fully prepared for a right solution to the Cyprus problem, something which contributes to the assessments and the positions of the European and the international community”.
Turkey which aspires to become an EU member state does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004.