UN General Assembly
2004

30 years of relentless efforts by the Greek Cypriots to achieve a just and peaceful settlement, with the support of the international community, for which I would here like to express our deep appreciation. The Secretary-General’s most recent effort to solve the Cyprus problem resulted in a plan that was described by some as a historic opportunity to solve one of the most long-standing international problems. I will outline only briefly why, despite the hard work invested in the process by everyone involved, the end product of that effort was judged to have been inadequate and to have fallen short of minimum expectations for a settlement for Greek Cypriots. First, the Annan Plan was not the product of negotiation, nor did it constitute an agreed solution between the parties. Secondly, the Plan did not place the necessary emphasis on achieving a one-State solution with a central Government able to guarantee the single, sovereign character of Cyprus. Thirdly, it failed to address the serious concerns of the Greek Cypriot community regarding their security and the effective implementation of the Plan.