Nicosia/Istanbul, 12/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs Georges Papandreou asserted before the press, following a meeting in Nicosia with his Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Cassoulides, that the Cypriot accession negotiations with the European Union should be concluded in 2002, regardless of whether the problem of the division of the Island is resolved or not, indicated the Greek press agency ANA. Mr Papandreou said that the European Commission is concerned over the details of the accession by Cyprus, which requires the finding of a "formula" according to which the island would enter into the EU independently from a solution to its political problem, adds ANA, which continues: "the formula would aim to declare the whole of Cyprus an EU member under its legitimate government, which, however, was unable to exercise sovereignty in the Turkish occupied sector".
Moreover according to ANA, the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem hoped for "greater objectivity" in the American policy concerning Cyprus. "I do not like the US policy on Cyprus (…) American policy should not insist on persuading Turkey to accept Greek and Greek-Cypriot positions", said the Minister on television.