Famagusta: The importance of the European Union's involvement in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem and of achieving a comprehensive settlement based on European principles and the acquis communautaire has been highlighted by Second Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament Georgios Georgantas, who represented the Greek Parliament at the annual anti-occupation events organised by Famagusta Municipality.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the programme for the Municipality's guests began on Friday, July 31, with visits to the Presidential Palace and the House of Representatives. During the meeting with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, emphasis was placed on the current critical juncture in the Cyprus issue. President Christodoulides expressed hope that the UN Secretary-General's determination to make progress, combined with the EU's involvement, could open a window of opportunity for a Cyprus settlement.
During the discussion that followed, Georgantas stressed the importance of the EU's involvement in the process and of achieving a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem based on European principles and the acquis communautaire. He also referred to the tangible support shown to Cyprus, initially by Greece and subsequently by other European countries, following the attack on Akrotiri British Bases.
During the meeting at the House of Representatives, House President Annita Demetriou stressed that the only acceptable solution to the Cyprus issue would be one providing for the evolution, rather than the abolition, of the Republic of Cyprus, it is noted. Georgantas also described the designation of European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus as a positive development.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.
Last March, a Shahed-type drone struck military facilities in the British Bases, hosted in Akrotiri, in the southern tip of Cyprus, amid regional turmoil following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. After the attack by the Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, believed to be linked to Hezbollah operating in Lebanon, Greece and France deployed warships, aircraft and other air defence assets to shield Cyprus. Events also triggered a discussion at EU level on the need to set rules for triggering the mutual defence clause. The Cyprus government says the Greek F16s stationed on the island following the attack on the British Bases are not permanent. In June, Cyprus and France signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) deepening their military cooperation.