EU Enlargement Commissioner Accuses Greek Cypriots Of Cheating UN

by Lorys Charalambous, for LawAndTax-News.com, Cyprus

23 April 2004

Speaking to the European Parliament on Wednesday, Enlargement Commissioner, Günter Verheugen expressed his strong disappointment at the attitude of Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos towards the so-called 'Annan Plan' for reunifying the divided island.

Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots are set to vote on the UN-sponsored peace plan on Saturday, which was negotiated in order to allow the jurisdiction a fighting chance at joining the European Union as one entity. However, in a televised speech delivered earlier this month, Mr Papadopoulos announced that he could not "accept or sign the plan", and urged his countrymen to take a similar stance.

According to Reuters, Mr Verheugen told MEPs on Wednesday that:

"I personally feel that I have been cheated by the government of the Republic of Cyprus."

"For months on end I have done everything I could in good faith to make it possible for the Greek Cypriot side to accept this plan on the understanding that this is what they intended to do. Now things look very different," he added.

Admitting that realistically there is little chance of an united Cyprus entering the European Union on May 1, Mr Verheugen observed that:

"We are just inches away from our objective, but I have little hope left for being able to push forward those last remaining few inches."

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