Brussels, 31/08/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 30 August, European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn welcomed the declaration approved on 29 August by the fifteen members of the UN Security Council calling for full implementation without further delay of the 8 July agreement between Greek and Turkish Cypriots (see EUROPE 9225 and 9229 on the subject of this five-point agreement). After hearing a report by UN Under-Secretary General Ibrahim Gambari on his mission to Cyprus in July, the Security Council resolution invites the two parties to begin work speedily. “The European Commission fully supports the efforts of the United Nations to further the reunification process in Cyprus”, Olli Rehn says in a declaration, recalling that, in July, he had welcomed the results of the meeting between Mr Gambari and the leaders of the two Cypriot communities, Tasso Papadopoulos and Mehmet Ali Talat. Noting that the Cypriot president and the Turkish Cypriot leader had decided to create “technical committees” on the day-to-day issues and “expert groups from both communicates on matters of substance”, the Commissioner said: “By the end of July, as foreseen, representatives of the two communities had exchanged lists of issues to be discussed. These lists must now be finalised without further delay to allow substantive discussions to begin quickly. Positive results will benefit both communities directly and will help prepare the ground for the resumption of talks on a comprehensive settlement using the good offices of the UN Secretary General.”.
In Cyprus, President Papadopoulos said, as reported by AFP, that “our side, with good faith, political willingness and responsibility, is working to achieve progress so the preconditions for substantial negotiations on the Cyprus problem are met”. Hasan Ercakica, spokesman for the Turkish Cypriot leader, said that the Security Council declaration “will contribute to the efforts to find a solution”. He spoke of the “malaise” of the Turkish community regarding the fact that efforts had “failed” to reach a solution to the island's problem. On several occasions, he said in a statement taken up by the BBC, they have stressed that “comprehensive negotiations” should be resumed.