HC Deb 16 March 1999 vol 327 cc873-5
6. Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)

What discussions he has had concerning the accession of Cyprus to the EU. [74912]

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ms Joyce Quin)

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Cyprus's EU accession with the Cypriot Foreign Minister when they met in November. He attended the EU Cyprus accession conference on 10 November, which took stock of the good progress made in negotiations so far. My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with colleagues from other EU member states on all aspects of the accession process, and there is also close and regular contact at official level.

Mr. Evans

Does the Minister agree that the complete shambles within the European Commission should not be allowed to stand in the way of EU expansion? Does she agree that the accession of Cyprus to the EU would benefit communities in both north and south Cyprus? Does she also agree that the fact that Cyprus has removed the new threat of placing S300s in Cyprus, although welcome, is not sufficient to enable progress toward a sustainable peace; and that we must look for new initiatives enabling both north and south to secure a sustainable future?

Ms Quin

I agree with the hon. Gentleman in respect of all three elements of his question. Whatever the state of affairs within the European Commission, we are keen that accession negotiations should not suffer; that is extremely important. The hon. Gentleman is also right to believe that both parts of the Cypriot community can benefit from accession to the EU, and I know that that view is shared by hon. Members on both sides of the House. However, he is also right to say that we must continually look for ways to take forward both the process of EU accession and the important process of seeking a settlement to the Cyprus problem. It is also right to say that we need to look continually for ways of taking the process forward, regarding both EU accession and seeking a settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Mr. Andrew Love (Edmonton)

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on keeping the accession negotiations on track. Those negotiations have been bedevilled by the lack of progress in finding a resolution to the division of the island. What success has the special representative to Cyprus had in bringing the two communities together? Can my right hon. Friend give us some idea of what discussions have taken place with the United Nations or with others about restarting the talks between the two communities so that there may be a resolution to the problem of the island's division?

Ms Quin

The efforts of the special representative have been impressive and assiduous in seeking to make progress. However, greater political willingness must be shown—particularly in the north of Cyprus—regarding some of the bicommunal and bizonal activities that we believe are important in paving the way for the eventual reunification of the island. The efforts of that special representative are very important, but we must encourage all sides to participate actively in negotiations.

Mr. Ian Bruce (South Dorset)

I am sure that the right hon. Lady will know that Turkey, with Greece and Britain, is a co-guarantor of Cyprus's becoming a single nation. What cards are the Government playing in telling Turkey that its accession to the European Union will always be blocked if it does not participate in a settlement of the Cyprus question? Can nothing be done to ensure that Turkey plays a constructive role in bringing together the two halves of Cyprus?

Ms Quin

As we know, Turkey has expressed an interest in attaining a closer relationship with the European Union, and that must be viewed in the context of moving towards resolving the Cyprus issue. We have made it clear that Turkey does not have a veto on Cypriot accession to the European Union. However, we also believe that it is in the interests of both Cyprus and Turkey to be more positive in their approach to the European Union.