European Union leaders this week supported calls for movement on Cyprus following a meeting in Brussels with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy spoke of the urgent need to find a Cyprus solution at a joint news conference with Erdogan.
Both EU leaders said a Cyprus solution would have a positive outcome on Turkey’s EU course, which was one of the issues discussed in Brussels along with trade, energy, counter-terrorism, the crisis in Syria, and the political situation in Turkey.
“We also agreed on the urgent need to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue,” said Barroso of his meeting with Erdogan. “This is surely in our common interest, and a decisive move in this field would no doubt also be conducive to progress in Turkey’s wider relations with the European Union. Progress in this matter is of fundamental importance. This is a message that we have been conveying also to the parties in Cyprus,” he said.
Van Rompuy urged all parties to resume negotiations as soon as possible.
Erdogan said Turkey was committed to progress on Cyprus. “We will continue in this direction, hoping that there will be a positive approach on behalf of southern Cyprus, because this would be beneficial for all, for Cyprus, and for Turkey as an EU candidate country,” he said.
President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades briefed on the phone Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Barroso, along with European Parliament President Martin Schulz, before the arrival of the Turkish prime minister in Brussels.
In the meantime, special envoy to Cyprus, Alexander Downer, briefed the Security Council of the UN this week. The Security Council reiterated its support to the efforts of the general secretary to help find a solution, called upon the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to resume talks and renewed the presence of the UN forces in Cyprus for another six months.
Sources: cyprus-mail, cna