Cyprus, 2009

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.