Nieuwe ronde onderhandelingen hereniging Cyprus onder oog VN (en)

Press release - 209(2008)

Cyprus: PACE ready to support negotiations under UN auspices

Strasbourg, 23.03.2008 - The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Lluís Maria de Puig, welcomed the announcement by the Cypriot President and the Turkish Cypriot leader to resume talks on the reunification of the island.

The President commended the announced re-opening of the Ledra Street crossing as highly symbolic. «Mutual trust and confidence are vital for the success of the renewed process to settle the conflict. This symbolic step can therefore play an important role in promoting dialogue and reconciliation. The Parliamentary Assembly will support all efforts aimed at turning the Buffer Zone in Cyprus from a symbol of division into a symbol of co-operation. PACE stands ready to support the negotiations under UN auspices,» the President said.

Two 'elected representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community' have been participating in PACE activities since January 2005 in line with Assembly Resolution 1376 (2004). The number of two representatives is based on paragraph 10 of Resolution 1113 (1997), according to which "Cyprus is entitled to three Representatives (and three Substitutes) in the Parliamentary Assembly, two of which are to be Greek Cypriots and one a Turkish Cypriot".

Cyprus is member from the Council of Europe since 1961.

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