WRITTEN QUESTION E-3767/00

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(1 December 2000)

Subject: Settlement of the Cyprus question

The declaration of 31 October 2000 by the Presidency of the Council on the Cyprus question supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to find a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement, consistent with the relevant Security Council resolutions, and calls on the two communities to conduct substantive talks and to contribute actively to resolving the problem. However, given that on 11 November 2000 the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, made a scathing attack on the non-paper produced by the UN Secretary-General, and given that there are plans to create a federation on the island, what is the Council's current position towards the new refusal by Turkey to find a solution to the Cyprus question?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3621/00, E-3767/00 and E-3768/00

(14 May 2001)

The Union expresses unreserved support for the UN Secretary-General's efforts to find a solution, since the United Nations constitutes the reference framework for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the issue. The Council's position on the UN Secretary-General's efforts to find a solution to the conflict has been reaffirmed recently by the European Council and the Council.

On 7-9 December 2000, the Nice European Council welcomed and expressed its strong support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General to achieve an overall agreement on the Cyprus problem consistent with the UN Security Council Resolutions and to arrive at a positive conclusion of the process initiated in December 1999. The European Council appealed to all parties concerned to contribute to the efforts made to this effect.

On 4 December 2000, the Council reached political agreement on including the following reference to the Cyprus issue in the short-term (2001) priorities of the Accession Partnership for Turkey under the title Enhanced Political Dialogue and Political Criteria: in accordance with the Helsinki European Council conclusions, in the context of the political dialogue, strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to bring to a successful conclusion the process of finding a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem as referred to in point 9 (a) of the Helsinki European Council conclusions.

The proximity talks scheduled to begin at the end of January 2001 did not get off the ground given the Turkish-Cypriot side's failure to participate. The Council still hopes that this round of discussions can take place as envisaged and be completed successfully.

The question of a violation of Cypriot airspace has not been raised in the Council. The Council recalls that, in resolution 367 of 12 March 1975, the UN Security Council, called for respect for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.