Cyprus (Hansard, 24 April 1991)

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, we shall continue to give active support to the United Nations Secretary-General's efforts to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the intercommunal dispute in Cyprus

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that reply. Does he accept that with the ceasefire. in the Gulf and the new-found enthusiasm for United Nations resolutions, attention is now turning back to finding solutions to long-standing issues such as the Cyprus problem? Will he enlarge a little further on what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking at the United Nations to resurrect the intercommunal talks between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leadership? Will he indicate whether Her Majesty's Government will, as a matter of urgency, raise the Cyprus issue at the next EC meeting of Foreign Ministers?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the way forward is clearly laid out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 649 of March 1990 which both sides accepted and which was unanimously adopted by the Security Council. The United Nations Secretary-General's representative is currently pursuing further discussions with the parties to the dispute. The Secretary-General proposes to report again to the Security Council in July. We shall continue our regular high level contacts with those most closely involved in order to help the United Nations find a way forward.
The European Community has made clear its support for the United Nations Secretary-General's efforts. However, we do not believe that a European Community initiative is appropriate. We believe that it would only cut across United Nations efforts.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, on the point raised by the noble Lord about the Community, is it not the case that as recently as December the European Community proposed that a conference should he convened with representatives from Greece, 262 Turkey and the Community to discuss the current difficulties and to seek to make at least some start towards a solution? Has that proposal now been dropped or is it being followed up?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I do not have details of any such proposal by the European Community. However, we believe that the initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General offers the best hope of progress. We believe that it provides the necessary impartiality and authority to encourage the two communities to reach a mutually acceptable and lasting solution.

Viscount Tonypandy
My Lords, will the noble Lord ensure that the Secretary-General of the United Nations is given the information about the large numbers of Turks who are being granted Cypriot nationality by Mr. Denktas, thus changing the balance in the proportion between the two peoples in the occupied part of Cyprus?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, it would not be helpful for me to express a view on the merits of the case. Our policy is to be even-handed in our dealings with both sides within the limits set by our recognition policy. We believe that that is the best way to preserve our influence with both parties.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, may I impress upon the noble Lord the urgency of the matter? It is now 17 years since the invasion. Is it not time that the United Kingdom, with its responsibility as joint chairman, injected some further urgency into the business? That is why I asked for the matter to be raised on the agenda at the next meeting of the EC Foreign Ministers.

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, the Secretary-General proposes to continue the recent discussions with a view to reaching an outline settlement by July on the basis of which direct negotiations between the leaders of the two communities could resume. We believe that a settlement is possible given good will on both sides. We share the Secretary-General's hope that real progress can be made by the summer.

§ Baroness Strange
My Lords, will the Minister confirm that there has been some contact and correspondence between the Greek and Turkish authorities over the ghost town of Famagusta and that they may be coming together on that issue?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I think that my noble friend is referring to Varosha. We would warmly welcome the release of Varosha to the United Nations administration, as called for in United Nations Resolution 550. However, we believe that that issue is unlikely to be resolved except as part of a comprehensive settlement.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, am I right in thinking that in his reply to me the noble Lord said that the Community had no role to play in this matter? I think the whole House understands that from the start the Community has played a role in this unhappy situation. It has sought to take initiatives. The initiative of last December to which I referred is 263 important. The Community may well be able to take a successful initiative as a preliminary to further action by the United Nations. Will the Minister try to find out whether an initiative was proposed in December and what followed?

§ Lord Reay
My Lords, I am happy to assure the noble Lord that I shall look into that matter. I said that we do not believe a European Community initiative is appropriate because it would cut across the United Nations efforts.