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Maria Spassova

Special GRReporter correspondent in Nicosia

The unification of Cyprus does not have an alternative – this is the clearest message, which the newly elected Greek Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou sent to the Cyprian people, to Turkey and to his European partners during his first official visit in Cyprus. In a speech in front of the Cyprian parliament he said that the main goal of Greek foreign policy is and will always be averting the Turkish aggression and occupation in Northern Cyprus.

“We want this matter to be solved in favor of all participating parties. Cypriot Greeks need to receive justice for all missing Cypriot Greeks and to receive a solution to their property problems, if they have property in Northern Cyprus. Cypriot Turks have to become rightful citizens of Republic of Cyprus and of the EU. Turkey needs to fulfill all requirements for EU membership and soon its citizens will be able to enjoy all advantages of being a EU member. The region will be calm, will prosper and this will be good for Greece as well,” this is how Georgios Papandreou expressed his point of view regarding the future of the region.

Greek PM spoke also about the so called special relationship of the EU with Turkey, which French President Nicola Sarcozi offers as an alternative to the regular membership. “A special relationship between the EU and Turkey will have bad effect on the Greek-Turkish relationship and on the future of Cyprus,” warned he. Quite the opposite – the Turkish EU membership will solve all above mentioned problems. Papandreou also reminded that despite all difficulties and unexpected turns, the Cyprian government has never given up on the idea to unite the island and to apply Protocol 10 from the EU membership agreement, which calls for the Cyprian government to take over the whole island and presses it to apply the European legislation also over the territory of Northern Cyprus.

“You chose the road of direct negotiations and we are fully supporting the negotiations between Dimitris Hristofias and Mehmed Ali Talat but we will not just watch. Together with the Cyprian government we will work on new initiatives. We will also work with Tyrkey, because it is of Ankara’s interest to encourage Talat in finding a compromise,” also said the Greek Prime Minister. He reminded that it is a tradition for all Greek PMs to give a speech in front of the Cyprian parliament and this is a tradition, which was started by Andreas Papandreou in 1982.

Before leaving Cyprus Georgios Papandreou visited also the Cyprian Archbishopric and met the Archbishop of Cyprus Hrisostomos.