Your Excellency the Prime Minister,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with particular pleasure that we welcome in you a fervent supporter and friend of Cyprus. I want to mention once again and have it go on official record that Cyprus is grateful for the decisive role played by Luxembourg and you personally, Prime Minister, in opening the way for Cyprus’ accession to the European Union which has brought Cyprus today at the threshold of the EU.
In December 1997, during one of the six presidencies of Luxembourg, and when you as Prime Minister were president of the European Council, the definitive decision was taken to begin accession negotiations with the Republic of Cyprus and five other countries which were then called the "Luxembourg group of six". All this is known and has been recorded by history.
What is not widely known and what I would like to note officially, is your own personal role and contribution so that, despite the intense reaction of many other leaders of European Union member states, the Republic of Cyprus was included in the "Luxembourg group of six". As President at the time, of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, I was in Luxembourg and I have first hand knowledge of your personal contribution and the long drawn intense negotiations at the Council for the promotion of the application of the Republic of Cyprus.
For this decisive contribution of yours, the Cyprus people, the political leadership and I personally express our gratitude.
It is for this reason that I repeatedly urged you to make this visit to Cyprus, so that we, as people of Cyprus, Government, political leadership, and I personally can have the opportunity to express our thanks for this contribution of decisive significance for the accession of Cyprus to the European Union.
Everyone who is involved in the political developments knows that success has many fathers. This is both understandable and typical of human beings. It is for this reason that I have never hesitated to recognize and praise my predecessors, the Negotiator, the House of Representatives, the political parties and the people for the efforts and the sacrifices they have made so that the dream of accession become reality.
To this list, objectively and justly speaking, the name of Jean-Claude Juncker must be added.
Your official visit to Cyprus takes place four months prior to the official conclusion of the accession procedure of the ten new member states of the European Union, on May 1st, 2004.
Many political leaders and theorists had correctly estimated that the perspective of Cyprus’ accession to the European Union would, inter alia, act as a catalyst in order to push Turkey towards positive action vis a vis the solution of the Cyprus problem. The whole world knows that decisions concerning the Cyprus problem are taken in Ankara and not by Mr. Denktash’s regime. This has been confirmed by the latest developments and statements by the Government of Turkey and the Turkish military leadership.
Unfortunately these statements of policy are not very positive, nor do they contribute to the process of solution of the Cyprus problem which has been set by the decisions of the Security Council of the United Nations. No one can change decisions of the UN Security Council as regards the role and the competence of United Nations’ Secretary-General, with statements obviously being made with public relations aims and which clearly have as a target the beautification of Turkey’s positions in view of her European aspirations.
For our part, I have repeatedly made our position absolutely clear: We are ready for talks on the basis of the Annan Plan without terms or preconditions. Our aim is a workable and viable solution so that a re-united Cyprus may join the European Union as from May 1st 2004 - without losing sight of the fact that the time frame is very limited - providing the opportunity to all Cypriots, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Maronites and Latins, to equally benefit from accession.
Despite its small size, Luxembourg, is distinguished by being the country of the great visionaries of European integration, like Robert Schuman, who was one of the pioneers of the idea of a united, peaceful and prosperous Europe, Gaston Thorn and Jacques Santer, who served as Presidents of the EU Commission and the late Pierre Werner, who vigorously pushed forward the Economic and Monetary Union. Their example is tangible proof of the fact that small nations, despite their relatively limited political and economic weight in the context of the Union, have an abundance of will and vision in the common effort to realise the inspired aims of the European Union.
In the course of your presence here, you have had the opportunity to visit the old city of Nicosia, and see for yourself the only remaining dividing line in Europe. The historic centre of Nicosia, which before the Turkish invasion of 1974 was the centre for economic, social and cultural activity and an area of daily creation jointly by Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, is today a place of ruins and an irrefutable witness of the continuing occupation and violation of the principles of international law and human rights and freedoms.
This is the "reality" which the Turkish side wishes to legitimize when it speaks about "a solution on the basis of realities on the ground". It is the "vision" about "two separate states and two peoples" which has been the foundation of the Turkish side’s philosophy in the negotiations that preceded the Annan Plan. Today when once again various processes are being examined with regard to the Cyprus problem, we hope that the Turkish side will understand that a real will for a solution depends on abandoning for ever this "vision".
Our two countries and peoples maintain excellent relations and Cyprus’ accession is expected to open wide roads for the further promotion of our cooperation in the fields covered by the Bilateral Agreements and the Cooperation Protocols. As small states, members of the European Union, we share common interests and goals, which create the need for close cooperation and understanding and for joint contribution to the promotion of the aims and the implementation of the decisions of the Union.
We shall make our contribution to the joint effort for a strong, democratic, stable and prosperous Europe, which will ensure peace and security for its members and its citizens and will be at the same time an agent for peace, stability and prosperity for the whole world.
Once again I welcome you and the members of your delegation to Cyprus and raise a toast to your health and happiness and that of your colleagues as well as for the progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Luxembourg.