The General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL focused on the solution of the Cyprus problem for the reunification of Cyprus in his meetings in Brussels

 

7 December 2023, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

• Meeting with Isabel Santos European Parliament rapporteur on the missing persons of Cyprus

During his visit to Brussels, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, held successive meetings in the European Parliament with the European Parliament rapporteur on the missing persons of Cyprus, Isabel Santos (member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats) and Sergey Lagodinsky the President of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (member of the Green Group).

In a statement after the two meetings, Stefanos Stefanou noted that “with Ms Santos we discussed the issue of the missing persons of Cyprus and the work being done by the European Parliament Committee in relation to the promotion of the issue and the need to continue the work being done in Cyprus, with the programme of excavations and exhumations so that the programme to establish the fate of the missing persons can be taken forward”.

At the same time, S. Stefanou noted that, “Ms. Santos briefed us about the contacts she had during her recent visit to Cyprus, particularly with the Turkish Cypriot community, so that we can see how the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot side approaches the issue of continuing the effort to determine the fate of the missing persons”.

“On our part”, the General Secretary of AKEL continued, “we stressed the need for the EU and the European Parliament to continue to approach this priority issue as a profoundly humanitarian issue that should not be affected by any political developments”. “More specifically”, S. Stefanou pointed out, “as far as the solution of the Cyprus problem is concerned, because the relatives of the missing persons have every right to know about the circumstances in which their beloved ones were lost and of course to know what happened to them”.

• Meeting with Sergey Lagodzinsky, the President of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee

Referring to the meeting with the President of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee Sergey Lagodzinski, the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL said that with Mr. Lagodzinski they discussed the current phase of the Cyprus problem.

“Unfortunately,” said S. Stefanou, “the current phase is not encouraging at all, bearing in mind that we are going through the longest deadlock ever recorded on the Cyprus problem, after the collapse of the Crans Montana conference.”

“We stressed to Mr. Lagodzinski the need for the European Parliament and the EU in general to remain consistent to the effort to persuade Turkey to return to the agreed basis of a solution of a Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation with political equality as outlined in the relevant resolutions of the UN,” he added.

The General Secretary of AKEL noted that “we have outlined our own understanding of how the damaging deadlock should be achieved and the talks be continued from the point where they were interrupted at Crans Montana, preserving the convergences that have been agreed so far and negotiating on the Guterres framework”.

“We also informed him of the proposal that AKEL has been submitting for some years now, both to the previous and the current President of the Republic, on how the energy issue could be made use of in the region and in Cyprus, without violating our “red lines”, so as to create incentives for Turkey to move towards the continuation of the negotiations and the resolution of the Cyprus problem.”

“At the same time”, the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL continued, “we briefed him about the comprehensive package AKEL proposed to the President of the Republic, for unilateral measures of the Republic of Cyprus in favour of Turkish Cypriots, because we believe that it is very important with these measures to build trust between the two communities and to prepare the ground for a joint effort for the resolution of the Cyprus problem”.

• Meeting with the Director General of the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support, Mario Navas

Continuing his contacts in Brussels, the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL Stefanos Stefanou, met with the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, Mario Navas.

The meeting concentrated on issues with regards the implementation of a series of Confidence Building Measures between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, “measures with which the European Union expects the improvement of the climate of trust between the two communities, which is very important for there to be a better climate in relation to the prospects of reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem”, the General Secretary of AKEL pointed out.

“At the same time, we discussed issues related to the ‘Green Line’ Regulation. The EU is of the opinion that the list of products covered by the ‘Green Line’ Regulation should be strengthened and extended. They are very much interested in this Regulation to work in a supportive way to enhance trade between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots,” Stefanos Stefanou said.

At the same time, he noted, “we also discussed a number of other issues concerning the relations between the two communities. I informed Mr. Mario Navas about the package of measures that AKEL has elaborated for the Republic of Cyprus to unilaterally announce towards the Turkish Cypriot community. Mr. Nava found the measures very interesting”.

• Meeting with the Co-Chairs of the Left Group

The General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL had a meeting yesterday with the co-presidents of the Left Group (GUE/NGL), Manon Aubrey and Martin Schirdewan.

During the meeting, S.Stefanou briefed the Co-Chairs on the situation surrounding the Cyprus problem and the recent provocative actions by the Turkish army, while he thanked the Group for its support to the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the principles of international law, the Resolutions of the UN Security Council and the European acquis.

In view of the European elections, there was also an exchange of views on the economic and social situation in Cyprus and the EU in general and the need for joint action by the parties that make up the Left Group against the policies of the EU that lead to marginalisation and impoverishment and in favour of workers’ rights was stressed.

Opposition was also expressed to the militarisation of the EU’s foreign policy and to the increasing alignment of the EU with NATO and its aggressive policies.

Within this context, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL also referred to the genocide that has been taking place for over two months now in Gaza and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and a political solution to put an end to the Israeli occupation, with the establishment and recognition of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, next to the State of Israel.

• Briefing of the Left Group

Finally, the General Secretary of AKEL participated in the meeting of the Left Group (GUE/NGL), where he made an extensive briefing on the situation in Cyprus and surrounding the Cyprus problem, while he also referred to the critical developments in the region of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. Referring to the European affairs, S.Stefanou spoke about the need to promote policies in favour of working people in the EU, for social policies to be pursued against inequalities and the major problems facing the peoples of our continent to be confronted.

Toumazos Tsielepis, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Head of the Cyprus Problem Office of AKEL, accompanied the General Secretary of the Central Committee of AKEL in his meetings.

07.12.2023