BAGIS TEACHES DIPLOMACY, EU AND LAW TO THE GREEK CYPRIOT AMBASSADOR

At the meeting held in the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin, Michalis Stavrinos, the Ambassador of the Southern Greek Cypriot Administration to Ireland, presented himself as the Ambassador of Cyprus. The Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis asked him: “From which part of Cyprus are you from?”

Egemen Bagis said:

“Note my words and convey them to the officials working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Southern Greek Cypriot Administration, so that they will end this nonsense.”

In Bürgenstock, I also participated in the negotiations of the Annan Plan, along with the Prime Minister of Greece and our Prime Minister. There, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a firm stance regarding a settlement as he has always done.

Certainly, the Annan Plan may not have been perfect, but it still was an important solution, under the auspices of the UN, to the deadlock.

The Greek Cypriots declared their preference for the deadlock by their votes. Even so, the Greek Cypriots were rewarded with EU membership and the Turkish side, which favoured a solution, was punished.

In the framework of the Annan Plan, Greek Cypriot voted itself for Turkish army’s staying on the island.

2 days after the referendum of the Annan Plan, the EU reached a decision for the abolition of the isolations applied to TRNC, and paving the way for trade; however, this decision still is not implemented.

I do remind a decision made by unanimity of votes of all members, not a decision that does not exist in the EU, and I call the EU to implement its own decision.

Your country, Ireland, does not recognize Taiwan; but, it does not see any obstacle in the path of trading with Taiwan. This sample may also be applied to the relations with TRNC.

Turkey will be ready to open its ports and airports for Greek Cypriot as soon as Ireland Airlines ground in Ercan Airport. We just want a will for solution.

Also on a live broadcast, Christofias declared that his country was on the verge of bankruptcy, during the alleged EU Presidency of his country. If the solution had been supported and reached on the island, Greek Cypriot would not have gone through such a trouble.

TRNC have always been on the side of solution. We said that we would not be the side that gives up, and we stand by our words.

You shall deliver this message to your administration and say them to stop behaving ‘ineptly’.

In Cyprus, the sun is rising upon two different countries, two different democracies and societies every morning.