Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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400. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of recent elections in northern Cyprus, and that the newly elected leader, Mr Mustafa Akinci, has strongly stated that he wants reconciliation, and an agreement on the reunification of Cyprus; if he has spoken to his Cypriot counterpart on the issue; and if he will inform his Cypriot counterpart of his support for the resumption of peace talks, which begin on 15 May 2015. [19488/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Ireland fully supports the aim to find a solution that provides for a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, 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. In this context, the resumption of the negotiations last Friday between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus is very much to be welcomed. I was pleased to see that President Anastasiades welcomed the choice of Mr Mustafa Akinci as the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community and that Mr Akinci has said that he is eager to bolster an atmosphere of trust between the two communities.

This, I hope, is an encouraging sign for the outcome of the negotiations ahead. As Special Adviser Eide, the UN facilitator, has said, the resumption of talks ‘is a unique opportunity’. I share his hope that it is ‘an opportunity that will be grasped’ and I understand that discussions have begun in an open and constructive way.

I wish both leaders well in their on-going negotiations, and hope that the goodwill expressed on both sides results in a sustainable, peaceful solution.

While I have not yet had the opportunity to discuss the issue directly with my Cypriot colleague, my officials have on-going dialogue with representatives of the Cypriot Government, including through our respective Embassies, and our support for the peace talks is long understood and appreciated.