Ersin Tatar has the right as the leader of a community on the territories of Cyprus not controlled by the government of the country to have meetings, but the international relations of Cyprus are conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, European Commission spokesperson, Peter Stano, has said responding to a question by the Cyprus News Agency on a recent meeting between the Turkish Cypriot leader and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
“It’s not really for us to comment on meetings by representatives of a community. Mr. Tatar is the representative of the Turkish Cypriot community in the non-government controlled areas of our member state. So as a community leader he can meet people and this is not for us to comment,” Stano said.
“But when it comes to international relations and international politics of our member state, of Cyprus, they are of course conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus” he underlined.
Invited to comment particularly on Aliyev’s decision to meet with Tatar, the spokesperson repeated that “legitimate business between EU and Azerbaijan is of course conducted between the EU and Azerbaijan at the appropriate level” and that “this was discussed and also outlined very clearly last month when we had the Cooperation Council with Azerbaijan”.
Responding to a separate question by CNA on the protection of the political and social identity of the Turkish Cypriot community given recent efforts by Turkey to expand its influence in the occupied areas, Commission spokesperson for structural reforms, Adalbert Jahnz, outlined the parameters of the EU involvement and stressed that the best route forward is a comprehensive solution.
Jahnz noted that the EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus Prob based on a bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions and the EU acquis and values, and added that the best way forward “is through resumption of UN led negotiations for a comprehensive agreement”.
The spokesperson added that the EU will “continue to support the process and also the United Nations Secretary General’s efforts to seek common ground between the parties” and that the role of the Commission “also involves delivering technical and legal support to the settlement process through the UN” and through “the aid programme for the Turkish Cypriot community” to help the two Cypriot communities to engage in confidence building measures with concrete benefits for all Cypriots, while also recalling that to that end the Commission adopted in July the 2022 annual action programme for the T/C community worth 33 million euro.
Responding to a question on what the Commission can do during a period when there are no prospectw for quick resumptions of the negotiations, Jahnz underlined that the process “needs to be led by the parties and by the UN” and that “our role is one of support”.
“We are continuing on this path steadfastly. We are delivering our support in all the ways we can,” he added, recalling that the Commission also has a role in monitoring the application of the Green Line regulation.
“These are our actions and it is really up to the parties and the UN to continue in their responsibilities,” he said.
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency