Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassador for his comprehensive presentation. I thank the Chairman as well, given that he agreed to an in-depth analysis of a crisis that occurred 40 years ago. I congratulate him also on his recognition of the Western Sahara issue, which also has been forgotten for 40 years and which we will be discussing in greater detail in future.

We are far apart geographically, but we have a lot of historical comparisons. They are both divided islands and both have northern sectors. We have been talking about the English court's proper decision to deem illegal the actions of British residents who had taken over land and properties in northern Cyprus. We did have Northern politicians who had found a great escape for themselves in acquiring property in northern Cyprus. I hope one day that the chickens will come home to roost and that they will have to account for themselves. Cyprus has its cultural and religious divides; therefore, we have a tremendous amount in common. We have a gas field off Kinsale, while Cyprus has massive potential to produce gas.

The Cypriot and Turkish Governments are going through an extremely complex process, with which we wish Ambassador Stavrinos well. These are exciting times for the people of Cyprus and they should also be exciting times for the peoples of Turkey and Greece. Is the discovery of substantial gas deposits a unifying factor, or could it play a potentially negative role? We know that if this gas is exploited, Israel, Turkey and the people of Cyprus stand to benefit. As we know historically from Africa and elsewhere, when great deposits of minerals, gas or oil are discovered, sometimes it does not work to aid the unification process; it can work against it and create divisions. What is Ambassador Stavrinos's analysis of the potential benefits of these gas finds?

Cyprus has been a member of the European Union for about ten years, while Turkey is an aspiring applicant. How do Turkish Cypriots view the European Union from their perspective, given the horrendous difficulties, including the bail-out, Cyprus has gone through in the past decade? The parallel is that we are opening more chapters with Turkey. Ambassador Stavrinos may not be able to interpret the minds of Turkish Cypriots, as it may be more appropriate for the Turkish ambassador to do so. However, I would like to know from Ambassador Stavrinos how he thinks they view the European Union and the potential unity of the island.

This process has been 40 years in the making. It vividly jogged my memory when I saw the presentation on Famagusta by Cypriots. It brought back a lot of memories of Archbishop Makarios and the 1974 invasion.