Cyprus (Hansard, 2 December 2002)

§ Mr. Wiggin
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Cyprus regarding their accession to membership of the European Union. [83879]

§ Mr. MacShane
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I discussed Cyprus' accession to the European Union with Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides, the Cyprus Foreign Minister, when he visited London on 26 and 27 November. We welcomed Cyprus' progress in the negotiations and that it should be among those candidates which conclude negotiations next month. We made clear our strong preference for accession by a reunited island.

§ Mr. Lyons
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the UK Government will ensure that there is no division of Cyprus as part of a settlement. [84172]

§ Mr. MacShane
The Government welcome the UN's initiative to table a comprehensive proposal for a settlement to the Cyprus Problem.
Our aim remains for a reunited Cyprus to accede to the EU, to be able to speak with one voice internationally and to have a single international legal personality. We believe the UN proposals achieve this.

§ Mr. Best
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will visit Cyprus to discuss with the two communities the future of Cyprus and the EU. [84285]

§ Mr. MacShane
Neither I, nor the Foreign Secretary, have plans to visit Cyprus in the immediate future. But we are in very close contact with all the parties involved. The Foreign Secretary and I met the Cypriot Foreign Minister last week in London; the Foreign Secretary is visiting Ankara this week (to follow up his and the Prime Minister's meetings with the new Turkish leaders in London on 20 November and contacts at the NATO ministerial meeting in Prague); and the UK special representative for Cyprus visited Nicosia for talks with key players from both sides on 21–22 November.
The UK supports the UN Secretary-General's proposals for a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem. I urge both sides in Cyprus to make every effort to secure a settlement before the Copenhagen European Council on 12 December, at which key decisions on Cyprus' candidacy to the European Union will be taken.