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- NO:101 - 6 June 2008, Press Release Regarding the Signing of A Memorandum of Understanding Between the United Kingdom and the Greek Cypriot Administration
NO:101 - 6 June 2008, Press Release Regarding the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding Between the United Kingdom and the Greek Cypriot Administration (Unofficial Translation)
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed yesterday (5 June 2008) by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gordon Brown and the Greek Cypriot leader Christofias.
Signing a Memorandum of Understanding which includes elements that are far from being constructive at a time when the two leaders in Cyprus are engaged in a negotiation process, constitutes a negative intervention to the process and casts a shadow upon the efforts aimed at finding a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus question. Indeed, the TRNC side has brought to the attention of the international community its views regarding the Memorandum which is unbalanced in content and incompatible with the negotiation process.
The text of the Memorandum, which does not comply in letter or spirit with the principle of equality of the two sides and their status, neither reflects the UN parameters nor the joint understanding reached by the two leaders on March 21 and May 23. Quoting from the above-mentioned Joint Statement of May 23 selectively in favour of the Greek Cypriot side, and insertion of new elements, contradict statements that the negotiation process is supported.
Reducing the decisions adopted by the EU Council on 26 April 2004, designed to ease the unjust isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, to “economic integration of the island’s two economies” reveals an understanding that disregards the human rights of Turkish Cypriots. Contrary to the claim in the Memorandum, the Greek Cypriot side tries at every opportunity to sustain and expand the isolations on the Turkish Cypriot side, and by continuously arming itself poses a threat to regional stability. Given these circumstances, we fail to understand the need felt by the United Kingdom, a friend and ally, to sign such a Memorandum and to refer to Greek Cypriots taking initiatives, and to strategic interests shared by the two sides..