AMBASSADOR TOM WESTON SPEAKS AT AHI NOON FORUM—AUDIENCE ADDRESSES TOUGH QUESTIONS
REGARDING THE NEED FOR CHANGES IN THE ANNAN PLAN
WASHINGTON, DC—On February 26, 2004 the American Hellenic Institute
hosted U.S. Special Coordinator on Cyprus, Ambassador Thomas G. Weston,
at an AHI Noon Forum. Ambassador Weston updated AHI members and guests
on the latest Cyprus developments. The audience addressed tough questions
regarding the need for changes in the Annan Plan.
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Ambassador Weston speaking at the AHI Noon Forum.
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Ambassador Weston
began with an overview of the current situation and focused on the
outcome of the New York talks. He also touched on
specific provisions of the Annan Plan by answering questions from
the audience.
Mr. Weston named the commitment of the two sides on
a methodology as the most important achievement of the New York
talks. Specifically
he stated: "I, and the U.S. more broadly, welcome that political will and spirit of compromise
which did lead to what I believe is an agreement on a methodology to reach
a Cyprus settlement which basically changes the likelihood of getting
a settlement
from something very negative…to one that is just the opposite, very positive
one."
Mr. Weston reiterated the commitment of the two sides for direct
negotiations on the basis of the Annan Plan, which started on February
19, 2004, and stressed
the following key dates:
- On the 22nd of March Greece and Turkey will join
the negotiations if there is no agreement during the first stage;
- in case there is still no agreement, on the 29th of March the
Secretary-General will step in to "fill in the gaps" of the Plan "at his discretion;"
- the 31st of March will be the date for finalizing the text of
the Plan; and
- on the 21st of April the final text will be put
in two separate referenda.
He also stressed the creation of a fourth
technical committee dealing with economic and financial issues,
with the EU participating,
as an important
achievement of the New York talks.
Ambassador Weston named two crucial
elements that will influence the outcome of the referenda: the
first is the financial
resources
needed for the
settlement, and specifically the financial assets needed for
compensations for the resettlement of the refugees and of property.
The second
crucial element for a positive outcome in the referenda that
he stressed was
the "degree to which the political leadership supports the settlement in a referendum."
Responding to numerous questions from the audience, the
role of the European Union emerged as a major issue. The crucial
question
was the
degree
to which
the Annan Plan is in accordance to the body of laws of the European
Union, namely the acquis communautaire. The questions specifically
addressed
the issues of
majority rule versus minority veto, property rights, freedom
of movement and decision making within the European Union. Mr.
Weston
stated
that "the European Council has said that they will be able to accommodate the settlement
based on the EU values."
Ambassador Weston was repeatedly asked on the viability
of the Annan Plan and more specifically whether the U.S. supports
majority
rule
or the
18% Turkish Cypriot minority rule by veto power over all legislative
matters and
in the Executive Council. Mr. Weston sidestepped the above
question by answering that this is not a decision of the U.S. to
make
and that the
U.S. supports
a settlement that is agreed to by the Cypriots.
For additional information, please contact
Angeliki Vassiliou at (202) 785-8430 or at [email protected]. For general information
on AHI, see our Web site at www.ahiworld.org.
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