Brussels, 13/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - 'Our primary objective is the reunification of Cyprus. … the Presidency and the Commission are willing to play an active and prominent role,' said Commissioner Olli Rehn during his visit to Cyprus on Thursday and Friday, accompanied by the Luxembourg European Affairs Minister Nicolas Schmit. The two EU politicians had meetings with the President of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, his foreign minister George Iacovou and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community in north Cyprus, Mehmet Ali Talat.
Contact will resume next week at the UN headquarters in New York, and Olli Rehn was at pains to stress that the EU's 'primary objective is the reunification of Cyprus. Now there is fresh momentum we have to capitalise on. The Presidency and the Commission are willing to play an active and prominent role. However, negotiations on a comprehensive settlement will take place under UN auspices. But to get there we need first to focus on concrete confidence building measures. The adoption of the trade and aid proposals of the Commission is of utmost importance in that context.' (two regulations concerning aid of EUR 259 million and on direct trade with the rest of the EU for northern Cyprus, still blocked at the Council). The Greek Cypriot leaders repeated their opposition to direct trade, while Olli Rehn said 'to end the stalemate, we are ready to consider a compromise allowing the adoption of the two proposals.'