No 'virgin birth'. No worries

There will be no ‘virgin birth’ and no confederation, only the continuation of the Cyprus Republic in the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, the government said yesterday.Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said this was the objective of a Cyprus solution, commenting on reports that a Cyprus solution based on a new state or ‘virgin birth’ would necessitate rejoining the EU. He said the Republic of Cyprus joined the EU in May 2004 and any notion of having to rejoin would be considered out of the question, he said.A report in Politis yesterday quoted an anonymous EU Commission official as saying that in the event of a new Cyprus state, there would be a question of rejoining the bloc.

Stefanou said he was not aware of such a position as it was reported. But he said he said this was another reason, and not the only one, why a ‘virgin birth’ could not be a possibility in Cyprus. “No virgin birth and no new confederation of two states, but a continuation of the Cyprus Republic is the objective for a solution,” he said.Spokesman Stefanou also referred back to the leaders’ joint statement, saying neither had spoken of two states and two peoples but of a United Cyprus Republic with political equality as described in UN resolutions.“There exists a state and a democracy, the Cyprus Republic that is internationally recognised and a member of the UN since its foundation, and from 2004, a member of the EU. There is only one population in Cyprus, the Cypriot population that is made up of two communities, the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot. This has been agreed and the UN has adopted this agreement in many resolutions and decisions,” he said.Turkey’s stance in insisting on talking about two states, two populations and two democracies was an attempt to legalise unacceptable positions that clash with the UN, he added.

The UN is not unduly concerned over a possible short delay in the resumption of talks between the two Cypriot leaders, the UN Secretary General’s Special representative for Cyprus, Taye-Brook Zerihoun indicated yesterday.“For a conflict that has been around for four decades or more, I think that a month here and a month there, should not be an issue,” he said.
Zeirhoun said the UN was encouraged by the initiative and commitment the two leaders have shown. There was also a new environment, conducive to re-engagement and a commitment to see the process through. He said the UN’s view was that since the March 21 meeting there has been “appreciable movement forward in this process”. He cited a narrowing of some of the gaps and perceptions, and also on issues of substance.“So as long as the commitment is there, because frankly, the political will the parties – the two leaders - have shown is one which has changed the state of affairs of the status quo up to now, so we are very encouraged by the process,” he added.

Alithia says that a meeting of the heads of the technical committees was held yesterday chaired by President Christofias at which progress was affirmed in promoting confidence-building measures. The paper says that Christofias said afterwards that these measures will soon be announced. The paper says the main measures include an agreement on the renovation of Apostolos Andreas and other cultural monuments on both sides, permission for ambulances to cross between the two sides without formalities, crisis management of natural disasters such as fires and the creation of a joint recycling plant.

Alecos Constantinides writing in Alithia says that clearly what worries Diko and Edek is not the content of the joint declaration between the two leaders, which they are desperately trying to turn inside out in the hopes of finding points to criticise, but the fact that the process towards substantive negotiations is continuing, since it put an end to the deadlock of the last few years. As long as this deadlock existed, they weren’t worried. They only started worrying once things started moving and a new climate was created with real prospects for a solution. They weren’t worried when the only prospect was the danger of the status quo becoming permanent, the second best solution, as Tassos said, nor even when the TRNC was on the verge of being recognised. Did you ever hear them announce that they were worried? And I am sure their worries will reach their peak when direct talks begin and when the UNSG appoints a special envoy for Cyprus because that will mean that the process has real chances of producing results. That will really worry the two parties. So what will they do when things reach that point? Will they remain in the Christofias government while simply expressing their worries? Or will they quit in order to wage the final fight against a solution?