Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 12-05-31

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] President comments on Turkey and EU Presidency

[01] President comments on Turkey and EU Presidency

President Christofias was speaking during an opening statement at a joint press conference with President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz at the ``Filoxenia`` Conference Centre".

He also said that Cyprus shall preside over an entirely European Presidency of the Council and any problems that Turkey might create shall be problems managed in a collective, European way.

In his opening remarks, President Christofias welcomed the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz as well as the Presidents of the Political Groups, members of the Conference of Presidents that together with Schulz, constitute the Parliament's delegation visiting Cyprus.

"It is true that in the last years, we have built with Mr. President a close relationship of trust and a true friendship", he said, reminding that Schulz will be in Cyprus at the beginning of July, when Cyprus assumes the six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the E.U.

Noting that he is fully aware of the importance of the European Parliament for the success of each six-month Presidency of the Council, in particular following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, President Christofias said that undoubtedly, the European Parliament has become a true co-legislator together with the Council, for the vast majority of the legislative dossiers.

"It is, consequently, of utmost importance for each Presidency of the Council to have an open channel of communication and cooperate closely with the European Parliament to promote our daily work. I stressed before the plenary of our meeting that I, as well as the members of my Government, are fully committed to have a close and excellent cooperation with the European Parliament throughout the Cyprus Presidency of the Council", he said.

I wish, moreover, to sincerely thank Mr. Schulz for the constructive tete-a-tete meeting we had as well as for the opportunity to review important issues with regard to the current European agenda. We, of course, reviewed matters related to the coordination of our actions in view of the upcoming assumption by Cyprus of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the 1st of July 2012.

With regard to the major issue of the continued economic crisis, tormenting Europe and especially the eurozone, President Christofias expressed to Schulz his firm view that it is high time we adopted measures leading us out of the one-way street of austerity policies that have been largely implemented in the previous years. Austerity-only policies, he said, "evidently lead our economies to deeper recession. We can and we must give back hope again to the European citizens", the President said, adding "we must give perspective and hope to the younger generation, a very well educated and qualified generation. A younger generation that is watching today its future being lost. We shouldn't let any generation in Europe be lost".

President Christofias said he has personally committed himself before the political leaders of the European Parliament "that the main goal of the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council will be to constructively contribute and work in a hard and consistent way to safeguard conditions of growth and social cohesion".

He expressed hope "that we shall all seize the opportunity ahead of us in the upcoming semester and agree to adopt a development budget of the Union for the next programming period 2014-2020. I believe that if we faithfully follow the Community method, Europe will once again be able to tackle methodically and effectively the crisis and come out stronger from this grave period".

President Christofias said he referred for the first time and extensively to the four main priorities that the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council shall promote, noting it will focus its efforts �owards A Better Europe that will be more efficient and sustainable, with a better performing and growth-based economy, more relevant to its citizens, with Solidarity and Social Cohesion and more open to the world, closer to its neighbours.

On the discussion they had about the Cyprus problem, President Christofias reassured the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament that "we are fully ready to continue the dialogue for a solution to the Cyprus problem during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU as well". "I emphatically stressed that the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU is independent of the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, aiming at the reunification of our country and our people. I categorically expressed our unshakable will not to allow the Cypriot Presidency of the Council be affected by the problems that occupier Turkey is creating. Cyprus shall preside over an entirely European Presidency of the Council and any problems that Turkey might create shall be problems managed in a collective, European way. Last December's conclusions of the Council are clear enough on this issue".

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded since 1974 and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. UN-backed direct negotiations began on September 2008 with a view to reaching a mutually agreed solution to the Cyprus problem.

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