Tension at EU foreign minister meeting over reference to N. Cyprus
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Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 13, 2006 09:46
Monday's meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels reportedly contained some tension in connection with diplomatic stances on Cyprus. According to news published in the Southern Cypriot press, when British Foreign Minister Margarey Beckett rose and mentioned that "isolationary measures should be lifted against Northern Cypriot Turkish Republic," Southern Cypriot Foreign Minister Yorgo Lilikas jumped from his seat and demanded that Beckett withdraw her reference to the northern republic.
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Said Lilikas, "As a guarantor country, you may not use that term. Please withdraw your words."
Beckett then agreed to withdraw her words, and apologized, explaining she was a new foreign minister, and not yet familiar with the diplomatic ways on Cyprus. Similar tension was experienced again during the meeting when Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said he thought the number of topics to be shelved in Turkey's accession talks should not exceed 3. The EU Commission had proposed that a full 8 topics be shelved due to Ankara's refusal to budge on opening up ports to Southern Cypriot trade.