Sarkozy (after Christofia's visit): Turkey must recognize Cyprus if it wants a closer EU link

* Paris, Presidential Elysée palace, 2.9.2009.    In statements revealed after his meeting with Cyprus' President Christofias, French President Sarkozy stressed that Turkey's obligations to recognize Cyprus and to help for a solution respecting UN and EU principles, exist not only for its controversial EU accession bid, that France refuses, but also in order to have a closer relation to the EU, as France and others prefer, experienced  diplomatic sources at the Presidential Elysee Palace said to "EuroFora".  

   This was made crystal-clear at the eve of Friday's important EU Foreign Ministers' "Gymmnich" meeting in Sweden, due to prepare main areas for final decisions by EU Heads of State and Government before the end of 2009, that EU has set as deadline in order to check if Turkey will fulfill its commitments on Cyprus, mainly on applying without discriminatiion the Ankara protocol on free Ship and Airplane access and recognizing all EU States, according to commitmenrts undertaken since 2005.  

 - "This was evoked", at the Christofias-Sarkozy meeting, "and gave an occasion  for the (French) President (Sarkozy) to underline certain Principles that he has supported also in public : I.e. that it's essential for a country (as Turkey) which aspires to enter or to have a closer relation with the EU, to start by recognizing all EU Member States", including Cyprus. "This is something essential for the President" Sarkozy, "and he will never change his position on that". That's why "he strongly supports EU's decisions which have freezed certain negotiation chapters in reply to Turkey's failure to  recognize Cyprus and apply the Ankara protocol. "President Sarkozy has made it very clear that he finds unacceptable that Turkey refuses to recognize Cyprus,  and stressed that it's indispensable for Tuirkey to do so, not only in view of its wish to accede into the EU, but even regarding the perspective of a closer relationship with the EU, according to France's position", a presidential palace Elysee's official said.  

 Confirming also a key-part of Christofias' earlier statements,  the French Presidency's official added that Sarkozy "agrees with Cyprus' position to support efforts for a sustainable and comprehensive Solution" to the political issue, "which won't be to the detriment of important Principles, but according to International and EU Law, Democratic Principles and Human Rigts : In other words, "there is no need to accelerate for any solution at any price", because what is desirable is a solution whose parameters will respect UNO's and EU's principles'.    

This French position is obviously differend from the usual stance by some, mainly Anglosaxon cercles and Turkey's lobby, which, on the contrary, ask to "accelerate" things at any price", in order to push Ankara's controversial EU bid.    

However, questioned earlier on Turkey's controversial EU bid and the 2009 EU appraisal of Ankara's obligations on Cyprus, Christofias only said that "we spoke about that" with Sarkoazy, without revealing anything..    

Christofias, (whom Sarkozy warmly welcomed with full honors for a Chief of State), expressed his "deep gratitude" to France, and personally to Presidentt Sarkozy, because he promised, as he said, "to stand by Cyprus, from the first moment up to the end of the day, months or years, until a just solution is find on Cyprus' issue, on a fair basis, defending Principles" of International and European Law, "in full agreement with Cyprus".    

Something which obviously has a special meaning now, that Christofias, making a brief apraisal of the current state of intercommunal Talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Talat, said that, "without pre-judging negative developments, but also without walking on the moon",  people must be warned that, "judging from what we have in front of us, we are expected to face very great diffcullties".     

But "I hope that we shall be able to overcome them. My aim always was to solve Cyprus' issue  on just and functional basis, according to UNO'(s Resolutions and (European) Human Rights" Law "on Indivisual and People's Fundamental Freedoms", he added.     

Meanwhile, confirming the postponement of InterCommunal Talks provoked by obstacles again put by the Turkish Occupation regime, despite its promises, hindering the access of Greek Cypriots faithful to Saint Mamas' Church in occupied Morphou via the Limnites' cross-point at the "Green Line", Christofias also observed that "my comment is that more Mutual Respect is needed, and this lacked from the other (Turkish) side, on the Limnites" incident.     

- "But, we must also be careful with our reactions, when something excites us, not to kill the efforts" for Cyprus' reunification, Christofias added, ensuring that "talks (will) continue".

--------------------------------------

* USA's Holbrook and NATO's Rasmusen at the same time in Paris.. -----------------------------------------------    

However,  top-level political contacts, and behind the scenes transactions, continue to evolve in Paris, where USA's Holbroek and NATO's new Secretary General Rasmussen are visiting at the same time as Christofias, including on problems that Turkey provokes to EU - NATO coopeeration even at Afghanistan, pretexting Ankara's refusal to recognize Cyprus;    

Signifcantly, Sarkozy met Christofias only 1 day after meeting with German Chancelor Merkel in Berlin, who had strongly stressed the need to "solve these Turkey - Cyprus' issues" which block EU - NATO cooperation, speaking at the eve of NATO's Heads of State/Governments' Summit, April 2009 in Strasbourg (See previous NewsReports).

    - "Cyprus' issue is so important that it influences even EU - NATO Security - Defence activities from Kosovo to Afghanistan", stressed Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, current EU-chairman in office for 2009, in  reply to an "EuroFora" question earlier in Strasbourg.    

Rasmussen, which meets both French Foreign Minister Kouchner (present at the Sarkozy - Christofias' meeting, as well as Cyprus' FM Kyprianoy) and Sarkozy, came in Paris after visiting Greece and Turkey where he notoriously spoke precisley about these issues also.

-----------------------------------------

* France receptive to Cyprus, Malta, Greece and Italy's plea for EU measures to convince Turkey to cooperate against massive illegal immigration.

--------------------------------------------    

Moreover, France is ready to hear Cyprus, Malta, Greece and Italy's plea for EU measures to convince Turkey and other "Neighbouring Countries" (as Syria, etc), to cooperate against the problem of massive illegal immigration, Sarkozy's official also said to "Eurofora".   

 - "This is even more important for EU member countries which face such problems at EU's external Borders", where "neighbouring countries should assume their obligations" : The (2008) French Presidency, and in particullar (Interior) Minister Hortefeux (a well-known Sarkozy's faiithful) were very clear about that, and now the issue is on the table of the present (2009) Swedish EU Presidency, where it should evolve soon, he added, after EU Commissioner in charge of JHA, Jacques Barrot of France, had just spoken in Brussels about that a few minutes before Christofias - Sarkozy meeting.

---------------------------
    On Bilateral France - Cyprus relations, Christofiias sais that he agreed with Sarkozy that Foreign Minister Kyprianou will "permanently keep in touch" with his French counterpart, Kouchner, and that some "Agreements" will be prepared "to sign", in view also of the "inauguration of (Cyprus') new Airport" at Larnaka, "on November 7", which was built with French know-hoiw.

    A Sarkozy's official, speaking to "EuroFora", confirmed France's wish to resolutely deepen the good and close bilateralm relations with Cyprus", and that "contracts may be signed soon". He did not exclude, also, that Cyprus' "strategic" position might make interesrting contributions, in the framework also of the "Union for the Mediterranean" created in Paris during a 2008 French EU Presidency's special Summit :  Fex. on Ship Transports of Energy, particularly after the recent Iraq - Syria agreement to open Oil and Gas Pipelines towards the Mediterranean Seacoast, which could boost direct Transports of Central Asian Energy's sources to the EU, thanks also to New Technologies on Liquefied Gas, strongly supported  by a 2009 EU Parliament's Resolution in Strasbourg.

    Exceptionally, the "worlking lunch" between Christofias and Sarkozy had a very short duration : only 1 Hour, even if Christofias reportedly remained for some 2 more Hours in Paris.
-------------
* CoE to review ECHR Judgements' execution after recent revelations on brutal killings of Turkey's Greek Cypriot prisoners
---------------------------
     One day before the Sarkozy - Christofias meeting, on the occasion of the World Day for "MISSING" Persons, France officialy reiterated its support to UNO's new International Convention against Enforced Disappearances, and called all concerned States to extend ratifications.

The move comes shortly before a series of important CoE meetings here in Paris, next week, including on the "Monitoring" of Turkey's commitments, on Human Rights' issues, etc., before final decisions early October in Strasbourg.

In addition to a long overdue full update visit to Turkey by the President of CoE's 'Monitoring" Committee, Ukranian MEP Sergy Holovaty, CoE's Legal and Human Rights Committee decided to review ECHR Judgements' execution after recent revelations on brutal killings of  Turkey's Greek Cypriot prisoners, a CoE Official said to "Eurofora".

Rapporteur is the chairman of CoE's Human Rights Committee, and CoE Assembly's vice-president, Cyprus' MEP Christos Pourgourides.