Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-16-Speech-4-155"
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"en.20061116.21.4-155"2
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"Mr President, I wish to begin by thanking Mr Libicki and the Committee on Petitions for raising this question. Personal friends I have known for a long time are refugees from Varosha and, therefore, I know the importance of the issue not only because of my portfolio but also because of my personal contacts.
The United Nations has the responsibility and competences to pursue a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue. The Commission supports the United Nations in these efforts and encourages the parties concerned to resume talks on such a settlement.
The return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants is one of the key elements in the UN-led process. If agreed by the parties, the return of Varosha will have to take place under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Annan Plan foresaw an early return of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants. However, the plan, supported by the United Nations and the European Union, fell in 2004.
The return of Varosha is a separate issue from the introduction of direct trade between the Turkish Cypriot Community and the rest of the European Union. Direct trade is a matter of EU competence. The Commission proposed a draft regulation to this effect in July 2004.
Successive EU presidencies, in seeking to establish a consensus in the Council on the direct trade regulation, have investigated possible solutions, but without success so far. The Finnish Presidency is making substantial diplomatic efforts to unblock the current stalemate and the Commission fully supports the Presidency in its efforts. The Finnish formula would create a genuine win-win situation for both communities and all parties concerned. It would be a major confidence-building measure towards a comprehensive settlement, thus meaning also a prospect of the return of Varosha. Creating a win-win situation has been the essence of European integration since the times of Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauer, who united France and Germany just five years after the most bitter and devastating war on earth was fought on their soil.
Over the past 42 years there has been enough talk of ‘red lines’ and ‘blackmail’ in the eastern Mediterranean. That is pre-modern talk in today’s post-modern Europe. It is high time to replace red lines with bridge-building and win-win thinking, because that is what the European Union is all about."@en1
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