The Cyprus problem Regrettably, Turkey insists on freezing relations with the Presidency of the Council of the EU, during the entire duration of the Cyprus presidency. This provocative decision, by Turkey, to boycott the Cyprus presidency constitutes an insult to the entire EU and its institutions and comes in direct contrast with Turkey’s efforts to advance its own EU accession process. This stance has been condemned by the European Council as well as by the Council of the EU and has been strongly criticized by the President of the European Council, Mr Herman Van Rompuy, and the President of the European Parliament, Mr Martin Schulz, during their recent visits to Cyprus. Sadly, the direct negotiations of
Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), as well as COSAC Chairs (Meeting of the Chairpersons of the European Affairs Committees) and COSAC Plenary. The COSAC Chairpersons Meeting which was held in Limassol on 8 and 9 July, focused on issues relating to the priorities of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU, including the completion of the Multi-annual Financial Framework 2014-20 and on the Energy 2020 Strategy, with
particular concentration on issues pertaining to security of energy supply. The COSAC Plenary Meeting was scheduled to be held in Nicosia from 14 to 16 October 2012. In addition, the Cyprus presidency
hosted the inaugural Meeting of the Interparliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in Paphos on 9 and 10 September 2012. The deliberations of the
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meeting focused on the priorities of the Cyprus presidency in the fields of foreign policy and defence, current issues of foreign policy, as well as the “Arab Spring”. Beyond these eight Conferences
in the course of the six-month presidency, the Cyprus House of Representatives will also host, in April and February 2013, the EU Speakers Conference and the Meeting of the Secretaries-General of EU Parliaments respectively.
the last four years have not led to progress with regard to a settlement of the Cyprus problem, due to the continuing intransigence of Turkey. This stance needs, more than ever, to be denounced loudly and clearly by the international community and the European Union as the danger of a complete deadlock for the negotiations looms through Turkey’s strategy and tactics. These policies aim to maintain the illegal status quo on the island, a product of Turkey’s 1974 invasion and continuing occupation, but also to promote the unacceptable solution of two separate states, a notion which defies all pertinent United Nations Security Council Resolutions and constitutes a gross violation of all EU values and principles. Parliamentary representatives of EU member states will meet in Cyprus, an EU, Commonwealth and UN member- state with 37 per cent of its territory under foreign military occupation by a candidate EU country. Turkey is the single country in
the world which does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and refuses to have any kind of relations with it, while it still hypocritically remains one of the three guarantor powers for Cyprus’ independence and territorial integrity. For the past 38 years, Turkey continues to maintain on the island tens of thousands of heavily