12/12/2002

      EU membership will help UN plan to work, says Vasiliou
      Calls on Turkey to lean on Denktash

      By Fiona Mullen

      Speaking at the Economist Conferences 3rd Cyprus Summit at the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia on Monday, Chief EU negotiator for Cyprus, George Vasiliou, said that the very fact of EU membership will make the UN Plan workable. He also expressed full confidence that Cyprus will be invited to join the EU at the Copenhagen summit that starts this week and indirectly called on Turkey to lean on the Turkish Cypriot leader to come to a solution.
      "What I want to point out to you is that the Annan Plan would not have had the slightest chance of working if Cyprus was not joining the EU."
      "It is the fact that Cyprus will join the European Union which makes the Annan plan workable," Vasiliou told the 300 plus delegates.
      He explained that this is because the main functions of the so-called common state in the Annan Plan are functions that are part of the EU's acquis communautaire.
      These are therefore core EU areas, which also require consensus because the EU has insisted that Cyprus speak with one voice in the EU.
      Noting the mistrust that exists between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Vasiliou said, "Even if there are disagreements, we will know that at the end it is the collective wisdom of 25 countries that will prevail and not simply what Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots say."
      "This is in my opinion the most significant incentive for the two communities to work together."
      A further incentive is that if the two sides cannot agree at home, then they will lose their voice in the EU but will still be obliged to implement EU laws.
      "They will know that if for some reason they cannot agree and therefore go to Brussels and simply listen and not speak, this will not change one iota from the fact that once a decision is taken in Brussels it has to be implemented in Cyprus in the same way as every other country."
      "What Brussels decides is not because it suits Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots: this in itself is the most important factor," he added.

      Cyprus will be invited on Thursday

      Vasiliou was also adamant that Cyprus would be invited to join the EU at the Copenhagen summit which begins on Thursday December 12, even though he indicated scepticism about whether there will be a solution to the divided island by then.
      "The two issues subjects are interrelated but at the same time separate," he said.
      Vasiliou noted that European Parliament President Pat Cox had described of Cyprus as the "best pupil in the class" and that Cyprus was the first to close all negotiation chapters on Monday.
      "I have been asked this question innumerable times. What will happen%3f Are you going to be invited%3f I keep repeating, yes we will be invited. I have given the answer a thousand times."
      "I am convinced every sign is that on Thursday Cyprus will be invited to join the European Union," he said.
      Vasiliou also brushed off concerns that the invitation could be delayed because countries such as Poland might not have finalised negotiations by Thursday, saying that he was sure they could be finalised ahead of the Greek presidency that starts in January.

      Vasiliou calls on Turkey

      In the same speech Vasiliou made an indirect appeal to the new government in Turkey to lean on Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to come to a solution.
      While emphasising that the two issues are separate, he said, "The Helsinki summit declaration clearly stated that the European Union prefers the accession of a united Cyprus, that a solution of the Cyprus problem is not a precondition but at the same time they will take into consideration every other aspect when they will be deciding on Cyprus."
      "Therefore it is quite natural that there is interest in the solution of the Cyprus problem. It has been and is our goal that Cyprus can be reunited but if it has not succeeded until now, it is entirely due to Turkish intransigence."
      Vasiliou, who tried negotiations with Denktash when he was president of the republic, expressed deep scepticism about Denktash's intentions.
      "There are rumours and hopes that the new Turkish government may change the situation ... but he [Denktash] is convinced that Cyprus should be divided into two independent states."
      "Therefore I personally do not have the slightest hope that Mr Denktash will change his mind."
      However, Vasiliou still expressed faint hope of a solution.
      "That does not mean that we will not have a solution. But in order to have a solution that requires that Turkey will take a firm decision that Cyprus should be reunited, that the ideas about two states should be forgotten, that only one Cyprus can join the European Union - this is something that the European Union has very clearly stated - and that within this frame Mr Denktash will come to co-operate."
      "I express the hope that at the end of the day it will be possible to reach an agreement," he said.

      Learning to be proud
      Referring to the meeting last Saturday of hundreds of Greek and Turkish Cypriots in Pyla, Vasiliou said, "The message that came out of that meeting was that in the new environment we have to learn to be proud of being Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot, to be proud of being Cypriot and also to be proud of being Europeans."
      "Let us therefore all work towards the realisation of this objective," he concluded.