Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 221: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his efforts to support the unification of Cyprus, particularly in the context of the application by Turkey for EU membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9127/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The United Nations has the lead role in the search for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. However, the EU enlargement process provided the impetus for the most recent efforts towards a settlement, which were undertaken by the UN Secretary General last year, during Ireland's EU Presidency. The Government gave its full support to the Secretary General in his mission of good offices. Ireland, while it held the Presidency of the EU, also maintained close contact with the various parties concerned to encourage their commitment to the negotiating process and to the achievement of an agreed outcome.

As a result of the referendums in Cyprus on 24 April 2004, the accession to the EU of a united Cyprus on 1 May 2004 was not possible. On 28 May, the UN Secretary General submitted a comprehensive report to the Security Council on his mission of good offices. He noted that the unsuccessful outcome represented another missed opportunity to resolve the Cyprus problem, and concluded that there was no apparent basis for resuming the good offices effort while the current stalemate continues. The process remains under consideration in the UN Security Council.

Following last year's referendums, the General Affairs Council reviewed the situation on 26 April 2004 and adopted conclusions expressing the determination of the EU to ensure that the people of Cyprus would soon achieve their shared destiny as citizens of a united Cyprus in the European Union. The Council also agreed on the need to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging its economic development. Responding to the request of the Council, the Commission subsequently brought forward proposals aimed at the economic integration of the island and improving contact between the two communities and with the EU. These proposals remain under active consideration by the member states.

Since 1 May 2004, the Republic of Cyprus has been a member state of the EU, and, in the absence of a comprehensive settlement, the application of the laws and regulations of the Union to the northern part of the island is suspended. Under the Irish Presidency, agreement was reached on a Council regulation on the movement of persons and trade across the dividing line in Cyprus, including measures to allow trade in certain goods across the line. In the light of the experience of the application of this regulation, member states adopted a further Council regulation on 17 February 2005 to improve the facilities for persons crossing the line and to facilitate trade in certain agricultural goods.

The issue of Turkey's attitude to the Republic of Cyprus received considerable attention in the context of the decision by the European Council in Brussels on 16 December 2004 and 17 December 2004 on the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey. Turkey made a positive contribution to last year's efforts by the UN Secretary General to achieve an agreed settlement of the Cyprus problem. However, it still does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. In our contacts with the Turkish Government, including discussions between the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Erdogan during the European Council, we conveyed clearly the Government's view that, in order to enable agreement on accession negotiations, Turkey should move to start a process leading to the normalisation of its relations with Cyprus. The European Council welcomed Turkey's decision to sign the Protocol on the adaptation of the Ankara Agreement of association with the EU to take account of the accession of the new member states, including Cyprus. It also welcomed the important declaration by the Turkish Government that it would do so before the actual start of negotiations on 3 October 2005. Following discussions between the EU ministerial Troika and Foreign Minister Gul in Ankara on 7 March, I look forward to Turkey's early implementation of this commitment.