I would like to extend
to Mr. Ali Treki my sincere congratulations on his
election as President of the sixty-fourth session of the
General Assembly of the United Nations. I would also
like to express my appreciation for the excellent work
done by his predecessor, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto
Brockmann. I should also like to thank the Secretary-
General for his comprehensive report (A/64/1) on the
work of the Organization, as well as to congratulate
him on his initiative in convening the high-level
Climate Change Summit.
Since its independence, the Republic of Cyprus
has been committed to multilateral diplomacy and the
strengthening of the role of the United Nations. World
stability and welfare have been threatened by the
recent global economic crisis. The crisis revealed the
weaknesses of our collective oversight systems. It is
only through collective international action, and not
through economic nationalism, that we can overcome
such challenges. The same is true of action against
disease and poverty, as well as the prevention of
further damage to the environment, which affects the
lives of us all.
The most important lesson to be learned from the
financial crisis is that the economy cannot be seen in
isolation from the needs of society. Despite the
remarkable development of production forces that
could have secured decent living conditions for all,
people in many parts of the world are still deprived of
basic needs such as drinking water, health care and
access to education and work. The magnitude of the
financial crisis shows that it is a crisis of the system
and of its most extreme manifestation, namely,
neo-liberalism and market lawlessness. In its present
form, globalization is not the realization of the vision
of philosophers and social revolutionaries for global
brotherhood and prosperity for all. That is because
globalization is driven by the pursuit of excessive
profits. As a result, the rich are becoming richer and
the poor poorer.
More than half way to the 2015 deadline for the
attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, the
financial crisis is forcing States and institutions to
reassess global priorities. The United Nations is the
most important international body able to tackle the
effects of the global financial crisis and to act
collectively and effectively to prevent their most dire
consequences.
The world today faces multiple challenges and
threats, including climate change, the depletion of
resources, human rights abuses, the failure to protect
vulnerable populations, increased regional and
inter-State conflict, the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction and pandemics. From this rostrum, we
have heard the desperate voices of those who live on
small-island States, the despairing appeal of young
people and the dramatic warnings of scientists about
climate change. If we do not take measures now, we
face the risk of extinction. We join our voice and lend
our support to the proposals for taking concrete action.
We must take measures now. Tomorrow will be too
late. The December meeting in Copenhagen must
become a historic turning point in effectively
addressing catastrophic climate change.
Since its independence, the Republic of Cyprus
has relied on the principles of the United Nations in
maintaining its independence, its sovereignty and its
territorial integrity. After the dual crime of a military
coup and the foreign invasion of Cyprus in 1974, when
military forces attempted to obliterate our statehood
and violated the integrity of our State, the United
Nations responded with a number of important
resolutions that expressed the international
community’s moral and legal support for the Republic
of Cyprus. The plethora of Security Council and
General Assembly resolutions on Cyprus provided my
country with the necessary support to continue its
struggle for a solution to its political problem on the
basis of those resolutions, the principles of the Charter
of the United Nations and international law.
Shortly after my election to office, I undertook
the initiative of bringing the stalemate to an end. As a
result of that, and on the basis of the relevant Security
Council resolutions and under the auspices of the good
offices mission of the Secretary-General, a year ago we
embarked upon intensive negotiations with the leader
of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Mehmet
Ali Talat.
Trusting in the sincerity of Mr. Talat’s intentions,
we have engaged in a common effort to bring an end to
the division of our country. We agreed that the process
would be in the hands of Cypriots, without arbitration
or artificial timetables. Some progress has been
achieved in the negotiations, but not such as to make us
confident that we are close to a final solution to the
Cyprus problem. Our goal is the restoration of the
sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and
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unity of the Republic of Cyprus, the common
homeland of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. It is
also our goal to restore the human rights and basic
freedoms of all citizens of the Republic of Cyprus,
regardless of their ethnic background.
We are committed to the evolution of the unitary
State into a federal State consisting of two largely
autonomous regions. One region will be administered
by the Greek Cypriot community and the other by the
Turkish Cypriot community. The fact that the
population of Cyprus lived intermingled throughout the
island constituted for us a great historical concession
on the part of the late President Makarios to our
Turkish Cypriot compatriots. We remain true to that
commitment. The united federal republic of Cyprus
must safeguard the unity of the State and its
institutions, as well as of the economy and the people.
Unfortunately, despite our common efforts, the
Turkish Cypriot side, supported by Turkey, continues
to present positions and proposals that take us outside
the framework of the United Nations resolutions on
Cyprus with regard to the termination of military
occupation, the illegal possession of properties and the
presence of settlers. Acceptance of those positions
would lead to acceptance of many consequences of the
occupation and to violations of international
conventions on human rights, basic freedoms and the
principles on which federations are built. It is clear that
such a solution would be neither viable nor functional
and would not ensure the continuing unity of the State
and the country.
We sincerely hope that during the second round
of negotiations, which has just started, the Turkish
positions will be reconsidered so that we can, as soon
as possible, reach an agreed solution that we can then
present to the people in separate simultaneous
referendums. That solution must be by the Cypriots for
the Cypriots. It is clear that we will not present to the
people a solution that originates from outside, nor can
we accept arbitration or pressure being exercised
through artificial timetables.
Those preconditions were agreed with the
Secretary-General, under whose auspices the
negotiations are taking place. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank once again the Secretary-General,
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his good offices mission and for
the role of the United Nations as a facilitator in the
negotiating process.
After the 1974 invasion and the occupation of
30 per cent of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus,
Turkey has become a key player in the solution of the
Cyprus problem. The success of our efforts towards a
solution of the problem depends on Turkey’s political
will and on the policies that it implements. It is not
enough for the Turkish leadership to publicly state that
it supports the negotiating process.
Turkey should contribute in a practical way to a
solution that seeks a bizonal and bicommunal
federation with political equality, as defined in the
relevant Security Council resolutions. Instead, Turkey
pursues a confederal solution. A measure of goodwill
on the part of Turkey would have been the
implementation of Security Council resolution
550 (1984), which stipulates the transfer of the
occupied ghost town of Varosha to the administration
of the United Nations and the return of its legal
inhabitants to their homes and property. In addition,
Turkey should proceed with normalizing its relations
with the Republic of Cyprus and with recognizing it, as
stipulated in the decisions of the European Union.
I ask if it is not a paradox for a country that is a
member of the Security Council not to recognize the
Republic of Cyprus, a State Member of the United
Nations, of the European Union and of all international
organizations. Is it not a paradox for a member of the
Security Council to keep occupation troops on the
territory of another United Nations Member State and a
member State of the European Union for 35 years? Is it
not a paradox to undermine the unity and the territorial
integrity of the Republic of Cyprus by promoting the
creation of a second State on the island in violation of
Security Council resolution 541 (1983), which
unanimously condemns the illegal unilateral
declaration of independence, calling it null and void,
and calls on all States to respect the sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity of the Republic
of Cyprus?
Yes, it is a paradox, and it is also illegal. Cyprus
has never sought, nor wishes, to have hostile relations
with its neighbour, Turkey, but it is our responsibility
to defend the independence, territorial integrity and
sovereignty of our State.
Nevertheless, before this body, I would like to
express my readiness to initiate dialogue with the
Turkish leadership, in parallel to our negotiations with
Turkish Cypriot leader, and to share ideas on a future
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that would greatly enhance the possibility of a positive
outcome to the negotiations. Cyprus has consistently
supported Turkey’s accession to the European Union in
the belief that the entire adaptation process and
Turkey’s eventual membership would benefit our
neighbours, our region and us. However, that support is
not unconditional. Turkey should fulfil its obligations
towards the Republic of Cyprus and towards the
European Union.
I would like to state once again that our Turkish
Cypriot compatriots are equal citizens of the Republic
of Cyprus and that I personally will consistently strive
for their rights and for finding their rightful place in all
organs of the State. My political roots are in the
progressive people’s movement of my country, which
has always stood by our Turkish Cypriot compatriots
for peace and harmonious coexistence.
Nevertheless, the rights of our Turkish Cypriot
compatriots cannot be implemented at the expense of
those of the larger community, which is the Greek
Cypriot one. There must be mutual respect. I want to
affirm that I will spare no effort in order to achieve a
balanced and just solution that would restore the rights
of the people as a whole.
We have all paid a heavy price — human,
political and economic — and continue to do so. The
gains of lasting peace will benefit the people of
Cyprus, of Turkey and of our region as a whole. True
political leaders are not those who think of the next
election, but of the next generation. We have the
responsibility to work together to achieve a lasting
peace in our region.
I wish the family of the United Nations a
successful outcome to the deliberations of the General
Assembly at its sixty-fourth session.