And he urged that property disputes between the North and South should be solved through negotiation, saying it was the only way.
Mr. Straw was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday held after his meeting with TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat in Lefko?a. He repeatedly indicated that the UK was a good friend of Cyprus and the government was a strong supporter of the Greek Cypriots’ membership of the EU despite the divided state of the island.
Pointing out the importance of finding a solution to the problem as soon as possible, Mr. Straw also urged all parties to take on board the latest proposals by Turkey for a resumption talks.
Earlier, Straw faced hostile reaction in the South when he arrived for a meeting with Greek Cypriot counterpart George Iacovou at the Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry.
Protesters threw eggs and an umbrella at his car and one man was slightly injured and taken to hospital when he was clipped by the wing mirror when lunging forward.
Mr. Straw expressed his sorrow at the protester’s injuries but said visits such as this “were subject to locals security measures”.
He denied being a special envoy for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who on Tuesday had pledged his support for Mr. Straw’s visit.
President Mehmet Ali Talat held a press conference of his own later in the day to announce that his meeting with the British Foreign Secretary had been very useful.
He said: “This meeting has particularly been useful in us bringing to light the responsibility of Britain, which is one of the guarantor powers for Cyprus, and ending days-long speculation and debate that has been going on,” he said.
Reiterating the Turkish Cypriot side’s commitment to finding a solution to the Cyprus problem and reunification, the President of the Republic said this was reaffirmed again to the British Foreign Secretary at the meeting.
Pointing to Britain’s position and capabilities as one of the guarantor powers for Cyprus, in addition to the fact that it is also a member of the European Union, Mr. Talat said the Turkish Cypriot people had already proven their readiness and strong will to work at finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.
“As the democratically elected President of that people, I’ve conveyed their views and stance to the British Foreign Secretary” he said.
As for the new Action Plan on Cyprus announced by the Turkish Government, the President said this opening must be seen as an indispensable opportunity regarding the Cyprus issue.
Thanking the British Foreign Secretary, President Talat said the implications of his visit were far-reaching and far more important than had been expected. |
