Statements by American Ambassador Stuart Holliday and Special Coordinator for Cyprus Ambassador Thomas Weston

June 8, 2004

Ambassador Holliday: Good Afternoon I’d like to just comment on a couple of briefings that we’ve received from Special Advisor Alvaro de Soto on the Cyprus issue and his good offices mission and also on a briefing that we received from Assistant Secretary General Hedi Annabi. Obviously we join the rest of our colleagues in regretting the fact that the referendum on the UN Plan did not succeed. We of course regret the Greek Cypriot decision not to vote in favor of the plan. We believe that the special advisor deserves a lot of credit for his hard work on the issue and we think that to go forward, if the Greek Cypriots remain committed to a bizonal bicommunal federation this should be demonstrated. We would think the best way to do that, would be to support the elimination of some barriers that the Turkish Cypriots face particularly in the area of economic development. We of course do not recognize nor have the Turkish Cypriots requested recognition but we think that by easing some of the hardships that the Turkish Cypriots face that we could  built towards a more positive and hopeful future. We will of course be considering the mandate of UNFICYP which is up for renewal on June 15^th. We will note that the SG is going to issue his own report in three months that will outline possible recommendations on the mission itself and we very much look forward to looking at that particularly in light of the demands for peacekeeping Missions around the world that we face; the constraints on resources and our desire to reflect the realities on the ground be in Cyprus. So thank you very much, I am here with Ambassador Tom Weston who of course has been on behalf of the United States working vigorously over the past recent months to support the process and we would again see that at this time that there is not really any basis for a new plan and that the future of the reconciliation rests on the hands of our Cypriot friends. Thank you.

CNA ( Cyprus News Agency): Why do you think those measures will contribute to a better climate between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots? And second, did you ask the Turkish Cypriots in return of this position whether they will offer anything?

Ambassador Holliday: Well I think that there’s already been some positive steps in the area of cross border passage. And I believe that if you look at the economic disparity between the two sides that it would be in the interest of the entire island that the standard of living and the economic prospects for the Turkish Cypriots be elevated.

CNA ( Cyprus News Agency): Are you asking Varoshia to open? As a gesture or anything else?

Ambassador Weston: No, we’ve actually seen of course a couple of suggestions from Greek Cypriots to ease the economic situation of Turkish Cypriots but very little implemented. We’ve already seen of course at the same time you ask about reciprocal gestures the Turkish Cypriots have in very recent days made at least two of them, one was to ease the conditions of entering the north by the removal of the passport requirement for EU citizens. The other was the announcement of a longstanding wish that we have tried to foster, of a secondary school in the Karpas. So I think, I don’t know if these are reciprocal gestures, but I think you have in very recent days some very positive steps taken by Turkish Cypriots already positive in terms of Greek Cypriots. I think we are still waiting to see similar steps come from Greek Cypriots for Turkish Cypriots and it’s those things that we are supporting. Just to go out a little bit, though we are told by some Greek Cypriots that there were two main issues, which led to the no vote – the three to one “no” vote among Greek Cypriots on the referendum. One was concerns about security which we of course tried to address in the Security Council – the United States tried to address unsuccessfully as it turned out. The other was concerns that Greek Cypriots would have to somehow pay for the movement towards economic equality of Turkish Cypriots. So in answer to your questions why we think this will help the situation, if Turkish Cypriots are able to move to economic equality with Greek Cypriots, that should at least remove one of the expressed concerns of Greek Cypriots about support for a settlement on the island.

CNA ( Cyprus News Agency): The resolution by the Council that is going to be put forward on the issue of the measures?

Ambassador Weston: Oh, I have no idea. We just had our initial consultation

Ambassador Holliday: I think that the resolution of course we are going to take up hopefully on Friday would be the UNFICYP mandate and then we would look at any recommendations that the Secretary General has in his report in three months.

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