§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
In what way the isolation of Northern Cyprus has been reduced since the majority of Turkish-Cypriots voted in support of the Annan Plan for a settlement in Cyprus. [HL4927]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe EU agreed a Green Line Regulation in August. This set out rules concerning the crossing of goods, services and persons between the north and south of the island. This has had some impact on ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots but, alone, is not sufficient to fulfil the commitment made by EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 26 April.
We are still working to reach EU agreement on two regulations. The first would enable the disbursal of 259 million euros-worth of aid for north Cyprus. The second would enable preferential direct trade between north Cyprus and the rest of the EU. Both regulations are still under discussion.
With regard to direct flights, as I made clear in my reply to the noble Lord on 21 June (Official Report, col. WA97), we are currently examining the feasibility of such flights. This would be a major step towards reducing the isolation of the north and the Government continue to consider the issue carefully. We hope to see flights to all parts of Cyprus on the basis of commercial viability, not political considerations.