Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý in a press briefing issued yesterday (20 May) at the TRNC Foreign Ministry evaluated his contacts in Pakistan.

Pointing out that their diplomatic initiatives and openings would bear fruits in the forthcoming days, Foreign Minister Avcý said the Ministry would continue to represent the Turkish Cypriots in every platform with determination.

Foreign Minister Avcý stressing that the 34^th OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) Foreign Ministers Meeting had a great importance, said he had the opportunity to meet with the officials of many countries. Referring to his meeting with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, Avcý said: “I conveyed our views on the latest developments in Cyprus and it was a very fruitful meeting. I explained Mr. Gambari clearly that the 8 July process had not been implemented in the way agreed by the two sides and that the Greek Cypriot side had done its utmost to prevent the setting up of technical committees”.

Avcý said Gambari had stated that he would convey the Turkish Cypriot side’s demands and views to the UN Secretary-General.

Referring to his address at the 34^th OIC Foreign Ministers meeting in Islamabad, the Foreign Minister said that he emphasized that despite great efforts spent by the Turkish Cypriot side for the resumption of the negotiation process, the Greek Cypriot side was preventing the start of the process, which would contribute to a comprehensive settlement.

Noting that he stated that the decisions taken at the OIC had financial and political benefits for the Turkish Cypriots, Avcý thanked to Qatar, Oman and Kuwait for helping the TRNC to open trade and tourism offices in these countries.

Avcý said he also reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side’s request for the upgrading of the observer status of the TRNC in the OIC to full membership.

Foreign Minister noted that the decision entitled “Situation in Cyprus”, OIC Secretary-General’s report on Cyprus, the Final Communiqué of the Conference and Islamabad Declaration were the four documents which provided advantages to the Turkish Cypriots.

Avcý explained that in the first one of these documents the expression of “Cyprus Turkish State” was reiterated and it was decided that in 2007 a symposium titled ‘Tourism in the Islamic World’ would be held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Foreign Minister Avcý pointed out that the decision to hold a symposium titled ‘Tourism in the Islamic World’ in the TRNC should be considered to be a great success, because it would give the Turkish Cypriot side the opportunity to promote export and tourism potential in the TRNC to the OIC countries.

Explaining that in the final communiqué at the OIC meeting a call had been made to end the inhumane isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people, Mr. Avcý said:

‘The final communiqué emphasized that a possible settlement in Cyprus should be based on the political equality of the two sides, two founding states and be bi-zonal and bi-communal. Therefore the final communiqué was a very important document in terms of highlighting the political equality of the Turkish Cypriots in a two-state structure.”

Foreign Minister Avcý explained that within the framework of their contacts, a delegation headed by the Ministry’s Director General Ahmet Erdengiz visited Kuwait on 10 May, met with the officials of Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry and realized that a great trade potential existed between the two countries.

Pointing out that the delegation also met with the officials of Kuwait Investment Fund, Avcý said investment opportunities in the TRNC was discussed during the meeting.

“Kuwait visit is very important towards breaking the unjust embargoes and isolation imposed on our country”, said Avcý, adding that the Ministry had started the necessary studies to open a Trade and Tourism Office in Kuwait.

Avcý concluded that the period of initiatives and openings had started in the TRNC foreign policy and the positive results of this would be seen by the people soon.

Four political parties in the German Parliament prepared a draft resolution for the approval of the Direct Trade Regulation as envisaged by the EU. The draft resolution would be put to the vote in the German Parliament on Thursday (24 May).

It was reported in the Greek Cypriot press that the draft resolution called upon the EU Term President Germany to accelerate the approval of the Direct Trade Regulation, without further loss of time and launch other series of initiatives regarding the Cyprus problem.