Arinc: During The Conference, We Objected To Motion Of Greek Cypriot Representative

ISTANBUL - Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc has said, ''during the Fourth European-Mediterranean Parliament Speakers' Conference in Malta, we objected to a motion submitted by representative of the Greek Cypriot side envisaging some changes about participation of the European Union (EU) in the negotiation process in Cyprus.''
Holding a news conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before proceeding to Ankara, Arinc said, ''it was the first conference held after the forum, which was established in 2002 in order to carry out joint works for development of co-operation among parliaments of the regions of Europe and Mediterranean, was turned into a parliamentary assembly.''
Noting that the conference had focused on the issue of further improvement of relations about parliaments of the regions of Europe and Mediterranean, Arinc said, ''during my speech at the conference, I expressed the support of Turkey to the development of the European-Mediterranean process, and highlighted importance of further improvement of relations among parliaments of these regions.''
Arinc reminded that he had held bilateral talks with parliament speakers of France, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Malta, Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan.
''I informed parliament speakers of EU-member countries on Turkey's efforts to get a date from the EU for opening of accession talks. They expressed their satisfaction over the reform process in Turkey,'' he told reporters.
Arinc said, ''representative of the Greek Cypriot side submitted a motion envisaging some changes about participation of the EU in the negotiation process in Cyprus and asked for inclusion of it in the final statement of the conference. We objected to the motion. Consequently, the final statement expressed the participant countries' pleasure with the resumption of U.N.-backed negotiation process targeting Cyprus' EU full membership as a whole.''
(UK-MS) 22.02.2004