16/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - At the meeting of the joint EU/Cyprus Parliamentary Committee in Brussels on 9/10 October, Commissioner Verheugen signalled that the Commission would like the problem of the partition of the island to be settled before Cyprus joins the EU, although this is not a membership criterion. He regretted that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, turned down the invitation from the United Nations Secretary General to reopen negotiations under the auspices of the UN. The Commissioner and all the MEPs stressed the progress made by Cyprus in accession negotiations.