UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (AFP) - Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos on Thursday defended the rejection of a UN plan to end the 30-year division of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Papadopoulos told the United Nations that the internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot south he represents had wanted to end the split but had been frustrated by the intransigence of Turkey and the Turkish-held north.
"In rejecting the plan as a settlement for the Cyprus problem, the Greek Cypriots did not reject the solution or the reunification of their country," Papadopoulos said.
"They have rejected this particular plan as not effectively achieving this objective," he said. "We remain committed to a solution which will ensure the reunification of the country, its economy, and its people."
The comments marked the latest in a series of salvoes at UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who spent years drafting the plan only to see the Greek Cypriots shoot it down in an April referendum. The Turkish north approved it.
Papadopoulos and other Greek Cypriot leaders have repeatedly complained about being unfairly singled out for criticism for their refusal to endorse the Annan plan, which they said did not address myriad concerns of their community about security, property rights and the return of refugees.
He renewed complaints over a property boom in the north, the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and warned that failure to respect the rights of displaced landowners would undermine a future peace deal.
As a result of the large population movements that followed the Turkish invasion, there are substantial numbers of properties on both sides of the island that are still legally owned by members of the rival community.
In the Greek-Cypriot south, regulations control the use of "refugee" properties.
But in the north, there is little land with pre-1974 Turkish Cypriot title deed outside the main towns of Famagusta and Nicosia, so most properties come with dubious title.
He also argued against any change in the mandate of UN peacekeeepers who have been on the island since 1964, a full decade before Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third after a coup tried to join the island to Greece.
Annan said in May that in view of the "disappointing" referendum outcome -- which saw a divided Cyprus join the European Union -- a reappraisal of peacekeeping on the island was needed.