§ Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's GovernmentWhat are the official languages of the Republic of Cyprus; and, following the accession by Cyprus to membership of the European Union, whether each of these languages will be used officially by the European Union. [HL2593]
§ The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The official languages of the Republic of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. Greek is already an official EU language.
In the event of a settlement in Cyprus, the terms of which the EU has affirmed on a number of occasions that it will accommodate, the acquis in the north of the island would no longer be suspended. The decision for Turkish to become an official language of the EU would be considered at this point in time.
§ Lord Kilclooney asked Her Majesty's GovernmentIn what way would the rights of Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, under the Treaty of Guarantee for Cyprus, be changed as a result of the provisions in the United Nations Plan for a settlement in Cyprus. [HL2594]
6WA
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe second revised United Nations Settlement Proposal of 26 February 2003 envisages an Additional Protocol amending the Treaty of Guarantee. This amendment reaffirms the full pre-existing rights of the three guarantor powers. In addition, the guarantor powers' rights would be enhanced so that in addition to the independence, territorial integrity, security and constitutional order of Cyprus being guaranteed (as per the 1960 treaty), the amended treaty would also guarantee the territorial integrity, security and constitutional order of each of the two constituent states of a United Cyprus Republic.
The UN Proposal also envisages an Additional Protocol amending the Treaty of Alliance. This amendment reaffirms the rights of Greece and Turkey, as parties to the Treaty of Alliance, to retain troops on the island. In this case too the rights of both countries would be extended, through an increase in the number of troops that Greece and Turkey are permitted to station in Cyprus to 6,000 each (from 950 for Greece and 650 for Turkey in 1960). The amendment also removes references to a Tripartite Headquarters, as under the settlement Cyprus would, in other respects, be demilitarised.