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TALAT: "GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION TRYING TO PREVENT DIRECT TRADE
REGULATION"
Prime Minister
Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday (7 February) met with the European Parliament's
Liberal and Democrat MP's, Andrew Duff and Chris Davies and emphasized the
importance of the direct trade regulation for the Turkish Cypriots.
Speaking before
the meeting, Prime Minister Talat, while thanking the European Commission
for the improvements it had made to the Green Line Regulation said, but
this couldn't take the place of the direct trade regulation.
Criticizing the
Greek Cypriot Leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, for trying to prevent Turkish
Cypriots from trading from the Greek Cypriot ports, the Prime Minister said,
he believed this well known intention of the Greek Cypriot side would not be
acknowledged by the European Commission and other institutions. He said the
direct trade regulation was of vital importance for the Turkish Cypriot side
and the Financial Aid and Green Line Regulations were almost complete.
For his part,
British MP, Andrew Duff, pointing out that in the European Council they were
concentrating on the direct trade regulation, which was being blocked by the
Greek Cypriot side, stressed that although the amendments to the Green Line
Regulation were welcomed, this could not take the place of the Direct Trade
Regulation. Explaining that the Cyprus issue was gaining more and more
reactions in Europe and that initiatives to integrate the Turkish Cypriot
people with Europe were being supported by both the European Parliament and
Commission, Mr. Duff said such visits reinforced the views of the Turkish
Cypriots regarding the success of their efforts for a settlement.
HEAD OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL'S PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY VAN DER LINDEN: "I'M
DISAPPOINTED WITH GREEK CYPRIOTS"
The Dutch Head
of the European Council's Parliamentary Assembly, Rene van der Linden, in an
interview given shortly after being elected as the head of the European
Council's Parliamentary Assembly on 24 January, stated that after the Greek
Cypriots voted 'no' in the 24 April 2004 referendum he was disappointed with
the Greek Cypriots.
Explaining that
the acceptance of Turkish Cypriot representatives to the European Council
was a step in the right direction towards a settlement, van der Linden said
the island's whole and in particular the Turkish Cypriot side's integration
into the EU was extremely important for the EU. He said if the Greek Cypriot
side continued to stall settlement efforts and adopted a negative stance, it
would come face to face with the other EU members. Van der Linden said it
was impossible for the other 25 EU members to defend a stance, which was
only supported by the Greek Cypriot side. He added that, like the Turkish
Cypriot side, the Greek Cypriot side should also engage in efforts for a
settlement.
GREEK CYPRIOTS TO PURCHASE NEW WEAPONS SYSTEMS
The Greek
Cypriot Defence Minister, Kiriakos Mavronikolas, in an interview given to
the Greek Cypriot daily 'Politis' stated that the Greek Cypriot
Administration would purchase new weapons systems.
According to a
report prepared by the EU in 2003 on sales of armaments, it was identified
that in 2003 the Greek Cypriot side purchased armaments totalling 73 million
Euro from the EU. It also stated that in 2003 Greece exported armaments
amounting to 112 million and that from this figure 14.5 million Euro worth
of armaments was sold to the Greek Cypriot side.
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