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Maria Spassova

GRReporter special correspondent in Nicosia

Greece and Cyprus are uniting their efforts for the unification of the island and are ready to act with a prepared travel map. This became clear from the speeches of Greek PM Georgios Papandreou and Cyrpain president Dimitris Hristofias.

As GRReporter informed you, from yesterday Georgios Papandreou is in Cyprus on his first official visit as a Prime Minister. “Turkey’s application for member of the EU is a big opportunity for us to solve the Cyprian problem. We need to impart new dynamics to this candidacy, in order to impart new dynamics to unifying the island,” said the Greek PM after his meeting with the Cyprian president.

“Turkey has the right to hope that one they it will become a rightful member of the EU but this will happen when it fulfills all conditions for this membership. One of them is recognizing the Republic of Cyprus. The second is withdrawing the Turkish army from Northern Cyprus,” the host of the meeting, Dimitris Hristofias, also spoke about the importance of the Turkish withdrawal. “We cannot accept Turkey as a member of the EU before it withdraws its army from Northern Cyprus. This occupation is at the heart of the Cyprian problem, it is a violation of all international rights rules and without putting an end to occupation, we cannot solve the Cyprian problem.”

Both leaders said that they want to create a dual society federation with a common government and common international parliament. “We want Northern Cyprus to be a member of the EU as well. When this happens Turkey will not have a reasonable explanation to hold its army there. I am saying explanation and not excuse, because it had never gotten any excuses,” added Papandreou. Present at the talks of the delegations were also Cyprian foreign minister Marios Cyprianou, alternative foreign minister of Greece Dimitris Droutzas, the spokespeople of both governments Stefanos Stefanou and Georgios Petalotis, the ambassadors of both countries and some deputy ministers.

After the end of the official talks Georgios Papandreou laid a wreath at the memorial of the Prisoners graves in the Central Prison in Nicosia, where buried are the national freedom heroes of Cyprus from the war with Great Britain in July 1955. After that the Greek Prime Minister visited the Memorial at Macedonia Hill, where in July 1974 Nord Atlas crashed and all soldiers on board died.

An interesting detail is that the official Greek delegation is staying in Hilton Hotel in Nicosia, which is owned by Marfin Investment Group. At the day of the visit MIG President Andreas Vgenopoulos was spotted in the hotel as well.