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Roundup: EU pledges to cooperate closely for Cyprus solution: UN official

Xinhua, February 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

The European Union has assured that it will cooperate closely with the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the quest for a solution to the long standing Cyprus problem, a UN official said on Tuesday.

Espen Barth Eide, the U.N. Secretary General's special adviser on Cyprus problem said the assurance was given at the highest level to him and the negotiators of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities during a visit to Brussels last week.

"That was a historic visit. It has never happened before in this format," said Eide, who is brokering negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

He added that the representatives of the two leaders were jointly received at the highest level, including by European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker.

"They had very solid, good discussions together, presenting the views not of either side but of the two sides jointly towards the European Commission," said Eide.

"They were reassured, as I have been, of the full commitment of the European Union and the European Commission to the work that is going on here, not only as a political statement but on several technical issues, preparations for the full implementation of (the European) acquis in the northern part of Cyprus", Eide added.

Cyprus was partitioned when Turkey send troops in 1974 to occupy the northern one third of the eastern Mediterranean island, in reaction to a coup organized by the military rulers of Greece at the time.

The island became a member of the European Union in 2004, but the application of the occupied part of Cyprus was suspended until a reunification is agreed.

"As the European dimension is integral to the entire settlement we need the full support of the EU, who work together with me, with the UN, with the IMF and the World Bank on a number of technical issues that are now of high importance," Eide said.

Cypriot government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said on Monday that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are working on estimating the cost of an expected agreement on the Cyprus issue.

Asked if there was anything tangible on the funding of a solution, Eide said that "it is going as well as it can."

He explained that the funding is part of the final understanding on a solution and the sum needed heavily depends on the outcome of discussions on the properties issue which is still pending.

But he warned people that in discussing the cost of a solution they must bear in mind that a solution will create more wealth than a no-solution situation.

"You are spending money in order to create even more money and that's why I emphasize the private sector dimension. The world is full of private sector money which has nowhere to go. If Cyprus comes together it can be attractive for these investors and there will be more prosperity, more jobs and opportunity," Eide said.

A tentative estimate has put the cost of a solution of 25 billion euros(28.23 billion U.S. dollars) but the actual sum will depend on the final details of territorial readjustment and on the number of properties which will not be returned to their original owners. Endit