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CLERIDES:
GREEK CYPRIOT ADMINISTRATION GOT EU MEMBERSHIP BY REFUSING TO MAKE CONCESSIONS
ON CYPRUS ISSUE
In an interview with the Greek
Cypriot daily ‘Mahi’ on 30 November 2003, former Greek Cypriot leader
Glafcos Clerides stated that their attitude on the Cyprus issue enabled them
to achieve EU membership. Clerides said: “We achieved our upcoming EU
membership by refusing to accept anything, by making no concessions and by
showing the Turkish Cypriot side intransigent during the negotiations.”
Clerides clearly expressed that there were two main factors behind their
success in the way of attaining EU membership. He noted that one of them was
the support of Greece and the other was the strategy pursued by the Greek
Cypriot side as to show the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus intransigent.
Since the contributions of Greece would not be solely sufficient Clerides said,
they choose the way of supporting efforts of Greece by refraining from being
cooperative during the negotiation process.
The longtime former Greek Cypriot
leader further claimed that the Greek Cypriot side should be careful not to
give a message to the international arena that they do not want to start
negotiations. Assessing the explanations of Papadopulos about the UN document,
Clerides warned that the best thing for the Greek Cypriot side was to talk
little about it. Clerides also confessed that during his term of office he has
paid great attention to building up armament and that majority of the arms
were provided by Greece.
In the end of the interview, Clerides
claimed that if the necessary progress will not be achieved by next May, the
date set for the Greek Cypriot side to join the EU, this would both end
prospects for a new settlement in Cyprus for a foreseeable future and
frustrate Turkey’s own hopes to get a date to begin accession talks next
December.
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