NICOSIA (CIHAN) - Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos said on Saturday that the United States and the United Kingdom had tried to pass a resolution at the United Nations Security Council based on the Cyprus report of the Secretary General, Kofi Annan but that other members of the Security Council had rejected the resolution.
Last week, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan submitted a comprehensive report on Cyprus demanding an end to the international isolation of Turkish Cyprus and the continuation of the UN peacekeeping mission on the island for 6 more months. The 25-page report recounts the 4-year negotiation process for the reunification of the island, the April 24 referendum process and the current situation in Cyprus. The United States and United Kingdom presented a draft resolution accepting the report as a UN Security Council resolution but it was rejected by the Council.
Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos addressed a press conference at Larnaca Airport on Saturday on his return from the US where he had met the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan but he had not been received by any American official.
Papadopulos said that the permanent and temporary members of the Security Council, except the US and the UK, did not support the passing of the 93rd paragraph of Annan`s report - which demands economic aid for Turkish Cyprus - as a UN Security Council resolution.
The Cyprus report, drafted by the UN Special Coordinator to Cyprus, Alvaro De Soto, praises the constructive attitude of the Turkish side that backed the UN peace plan to reunite the divided island and criticizes the uncompromising approach of the Greek Cypriot side which killed the plan by voting overwhelmingly against it in the April 24 referendum. In his Cyprus report, Kofi Annan urged the UN Security Council to encourage all nations to eliminate the unnecessary restrictions and obstacles responsible for the isolation of Turkish Cypriots.
Papadopulos also said that he had not presented any proposal to the UN Secretary General at his meeting with him but only met the UN Secretary General in order to explain the rejection by Greek Cyprus of Annan`s international Cyprus blueprint at the referendum on April 24.
Papadopulos said that he was in favor of a two-sided federal solution establishing two regions in Cyprus adding that the Annan Plan would not be put to a referendum again without thorough changes.
He said that he was in favor of contributing economic aid to Turkish Cyprus but that the aim should not be international recognition of Turkish Cyprus through separatist policies.