IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 407 

Expressing the strong support of the House of Representatives for the positive 

actions by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus aimed at opening 

additional crossing points along the cease-fire line, thereby contributing 

to efforts for the reunification of the island. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2007 

Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mr. SPACE) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the strong support of the House of Representatives for the positive actions by the Government of the 

Republic of Cyprus aimed at opening additional crossing 

points along the cease-fire line, thereby contributing to 

efforts for the reunification of the island. 

Whereas the Republic of Cyprus has been forcibly divided 

since 1974, and a lasting, just, and peaceful solution to 

the division of Cyprus would greatly benefit the security 

as well as the economic and social well-being of all Cypriots and would serve the United States national interests; 

Whereas the achievement of a just and lasting Cyprus settlement is a central objective of United States foreign policy 

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•HRES 407 IH 

as established by section 620C of the Foreign Assistance 

Act of 1961, which, inter alia, calls for the withdrawal of 

Turkish military forces from Cyprus and a peaceful solution that guarantees the human rights of all Cypriots; 

Whereas since the partial lifting of the movement restrictions 

across the cease-fire line in April 2003, there have been 

more than 12,000,000 incident-free crossings, contributing to greater interaction between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots; 

Whereas, on July 8, 2006, President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader 

Mehmet Ali Talat, agreed, under the auspices of the 

United Nations Under Secretary General Ibrahim 

Gambari, to a set of principles to begin a process of bicommunal discussions, the success of which would be 

greatly facilitated by the implementation of confidence 

building measures; 

Whereas in the spirit of the July 8 agreement, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, on March 8, 2007, demolished a wall at Ledra Street in Nicosia, a key thoroughfare through the divided capital, as a gesture to facilitate the opening of Ledra Street as a crossing point; 

Whereas the opening of Ledra Street carries with it enormous symbolism for the reunification of the divided capital of Nicosia and the island of Cyprus; 

Whereas, on March 27, 2007, the United Nations Security 

Council, in a statement on Cyprus, indicated that, ‘‘the 

members of the Security Council share the [United Nations] Secretary General’s hope that confidence-building 

measures of this kind will be part of a broader move to 

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•HRES 407 IH 

resume full-fledged negotiations aimed at a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem’’; 

Whereas according to the April 2007 survey results of the 

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus 

(UNIFCYP), the majorities in both communities say they 

are convinced that day-to-day bi-communal contact is essential to pave the way for a united Cyprus, that the 

United Nations has an important role to play in Cyprus, 

and that UNIFCYP’s presence on the island is essential; 

Whereas, on May 3, 2007, the Government of the Republic 

of Cyprus took a further positive action and demolished 

a National Guard post at Kato Pyrgos with a view to 

opening a new crossing point in the area; 

Whereas there remain considerable obstacles to the safe and 

secure opening of Ledra Street, including the de-mining 

of the buffer zone, inspection of the neglected buildings 

in the buffer zone for structural damage, and most important, the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the 

area; and 

Whereas the removal of the impediments will contribute to 

establishing confidence between the two communities and 

serve as momentum for the reunification of Cyprus: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commends the Government of the Republic 

3 of Cyprus for the positive steps it has taken aimed 

4 at opening additional crossing points along the 

5 cease-fire line which further increases the social and 

6 economic interaction between the two sides of the is7 land; 

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•HRES 407 IH 

1 (2) expresses its belief that the opening of 

2 Ledra Street in Nicosia and Kato Pyrgos crossing 

3 points will contribute to building confidence between 

4 the two communities and to greater social and eco5 nomic interaction with positive effects in the efforts 

6 for the reunification of Cyprus in a bi-zonal, bi-com7 munal federation where the human rights and fun8 damental freedoms of all Cypriots are respected; 

9 (3) urges the implementation of the measures 

10 needed to allow for the crossing of individuals in 

11 safety and security at Ledra Street, primarily the 

12 withdrawal of Turkish troops from the immediate 

13 area as a necessary condition for the opening of the 

14 crossing point, as well as securing that the area is 

15 free of mines and inspecting the surrounding build16 ings for structural damage; and 

17 (4) calls on the United States Government to 

18 continue its historic support for the reunification of 

19 the island, respect for the sovereignty and territorial 

20 integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, and to work for 

21 the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cy22 prus. 

Æ 

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