Written answers
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Cyprus Reunification
Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the Cypriot reunification talks that the preparatory phase has ended and the talks are now entering an important and delicate phase; if he welcomes a UN envoy's meeting with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders on 17 September 2014; and if he has discussed the issue with Cypriot Government representatives and his European colleagues. [37728/14]
Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is on record in welcoming the Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014 announcing the resumption of settlement talks, and believes that it lays a solid foundation for the re-launch of negotiations for a fair and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem. We welcome the determination of both sides to conduct negotiations in a structured and results-oriented manner.
While Minister Flanagan has not yet had the opportunity to discuss the issue directly with his Cypriot colleagues, officials have on-going dialogue with representatives of the Cypriot Government, including through our respective Embassies.
This new phase of the discussions promises a qualitative change in the level of engagement. We very much welcome the appointment of Mr Espen Barth Eide in August as the new UN Special Adviser to the Secretary General (SASG) on Cyprus, and we wish him well in his role. Mr. Eide is assuming his functions at an encouraging moment in the process.
We were pleased to see the positive statement issued by Mr Eide after his meeting on 17 September, when the leaders re-affirmed their commitment to lead negotiations through a win-win approach and reach a settlement. This generates fresh momentum into this new phase. The leaders recognised the enormous amount of work that had been conducted in previous phases of the negotiations and agreed to move to the next phase of structured negotiations as well as to increase the frequency of their meetings.
Ireland fully supports the aim to find a solution that provides for a comprehensive settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Ireland remains supportive of all efforts to assist in the search for a mutually acceptable settlement to this long-standing problem.
We are pleased to have been able to maintain our presence in UNFICYP, the UN mission to promote peace and stability. Twelve members of An Garda Síochaná are currently deployed to UNFICYP.
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