Brussels, 21/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 20 January, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn highlighted the “important” role that the Republic of Cyprus could play as the closest EU country to the southern neighbourhood.
“Cyprus is in a privileged geographical location” and knows the thinking of the neighbouring countries in the south-east Mediterranean, he said after meeting Cyprus' foreign minister, Ioannis Kasoulides. Hahn said that their discussion focused on energy, migration, security and also growing radicalisation. “For us it is important to have Cyprus as a kind of ambassador hub, interlocutor [and], arbitrator to this region”, Hahn added.
Kasoulides hailed the fact that Hahn underlined the role that Cyprus, as an EU member state, can play in the region's stability and security. The two men discussed EU policies with regard to important neighbours like Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon, he said.
Turkey: progressing on the Cypriot conflict in order to progress on accession. “We also discussed Turkey. It is natural that this is the issue”, Kasoulides added. Relations between Turkey and Cyprus are complicated, with Turkey having occupied the north of Cyprus since 1974. “Of course, we are looking with an open mind in seeing the prospects of Turkey with the EU to move forward, but we have explained why this needs to be coupled with the attitude of Turkey towards Cyprus, towards the Ankara Protocol, towards its obligations from decisions taken by the European Union and towards treatment of good neighbourly relations and respect of international law and the law of the sea”, said Kasoulides.
Hahn stated that everyone was in favour of resuming the negotiations “as quickly as possible” for settling the Cypriot conflict. The negotiations were suspended due to Turkey not respecting Cyprus' exclusive economic zone and its sovereign right (see EUROPE 11172). “I think that Turkey fully understands that it's necessary to make progress in this area so as to make progress in all the negotiations” for Turkey's accession to the EU, Hahn said. He also stressed the fact that Ankara should focus on fundamental rights, economic relations with the EU and migration issues. (CG)