EU urges both sides to commit to Cyprus talks

Commission president José Manuel Barroso has urged both sides in Cyprus to take part in talks on the peace process.

“It takes two to tango,” Barroso said Friday, after meeting with newly elected Cypriot president Demetris Christofias. “It’s important that everyone makes a contribution".

Christofias assured Barroso of his commitment to reunify the island ahead of direct talks under UN auspices next week with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mehmet Ali Talat.

“My commitment is that I will do my best to put an end to the deadlock and put forward a solution to reunify the island,” he said. “We want the EU to have a peaceful Cyprus instead of it being a problem for Europe and the rest of the world.”

Barroso welcomed Christofias’s commitment, and hoped for the same from the Turkish Cypriot side. “The ongoing stalemate over the past few years is detrimental to both Cyprus and the EU.

“Peace and reunification means at least two so I hope we find the same spirit in the Turklish Cypriot side.”

However, there is some disagreement over whether to start negotiations based on former UN secretary general Kofi Annan’s 2004 plan or a set of principles signed by the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders on 8 July 2006.

Christofias is committed to negotiating from the 8 July agreement, and believes there is support for his decision from international institutions as well. “There is a disagreement on the Annan plan. It was rejected by one of the two communities by a very big majority.

“The international community believes that we have to start something on which we both agree.”

Under the 8 July agreement, the two sides would have to create working groups and technical groups to bridge the gap. Once their work is finalised, the two leaders would sit down together to form an overall agreement.

Christofias said he hopes Talat will “honour his own signature” on the July agreement.

But Barroso is more concerned with the outcome than the starting point. “What is more important than the start of negotiations is the end of negotiations. Let’s concentrate on the goal.”

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