AKEL ON THE NEW PRESIDENT´S INTENTION TO APPLY FOR CYPRUS´ ACCESSION TO THE “PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE”

 

Statement of Press Spokesman of AKEL C.C. Georgios Loucaides

Press Office C.C. of AKEL, 25th February 2013, Nicosia

 

The newly elected President of the Republic in his first official statement has announced his intention to submit an application for the accession of Cyprus to the “Partnership for Peace”.

 

The first thing which must be said in order to restore the truth is that the “Partnership for Peace” programme is not a European, but a NATO programme.

 

The Cypriot people are living through even today the tragic consequences of the US-NATO conspiracy against Cyprus. Our people also know very well that NATO and its branches such as the “Partnership for Peace” anything but peace do they promote. On the contrary, as developments themselves prove, NATO is responsible for unjust wars, juntas, dictatorships, death and bloodshed all over the world.

 

The first political action by Mr. Anastasiades unfortunately reveals that he remains consistent to his dogmatic obsessions to surrender Cyprus to the American – NATO suffocating embrace.

 

At the same time, Mr. Anastasiades hastiness signals the abandonment of the multifaceted foreign policy, which far from any ideological obsessions has led to the forging of a powerful web of alliances to the benefit of Cyprus.

 

The first political act of Mr. Anastasiades leads to the conclusion that we are turning back to a one-sided narrow foreign policy that was imposed in the harsh years of the ten year old administration of the Democratic Rally DHSY party, when all hopes were pinned on the British and American factor.

 

Such a development will be extremely negative for our national interests given that there will be a danger of alienating steadfast and consistent allies of Cyprus on the international arena, who are at the same time also our major economic partners.

 

At the same time, Mr. Anastasiades committed himself to a collective management of the Cyprus problem in the National Council (Note: a advisory body to the President of the Republic composed of all parliamentary parties, former Presidents on the Republic of Cyprus, established after the 1974 coup d’état, Turkish invasion and occupation by the late President Makarios) noting that decisions will not be taken if the parties representing 75% of the people do not agree with them.

 

The issue of accession to the “Partnership for Peace” directly affects the handling of our national issue on two levels. Firstly, a possible application for accession automatically abolishes the long-standing timeless position of the Greek Cypriot side for demilitarisation after the solution of the Cyprus problem.

 

Secondly, this takes the pressure off Turkey for a solution of the Cyprus problem so that the problems Ankara is causing to EU-NATO relations will be overcome. By putting forth the argument that it is the non-participation of Cyprus in the NATO programme that is causing problems in the relations between the EU and NATO, we are literally damaging our very own cause by transferring the pressure exerted on Turkey on to Cyprus.

 

Consequently, the minimum that should be done is that this important issue with serious political implications that affect both the Cyprus problem, but also the orientation of our foreign policy, should have been discussed in the National Council before Mr. Anastasiades proceeded to make public declarations in order to please the Americans and NATO.