WRITTEN QUESTION E-1483/99 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Initiatives intended to bring about the liberation of Cyprus.
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, Türkiye, human rights, international conference, occupied territory, peace, settlement of disputes

C 170 E/22

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2000

facilities damaged in the conflicts, the consolidation of democracy and civil society, the return of refugees
and the preparation for economic recovery. At present, while the FRY is eligible for support under the
Obnova programme, Serbia is only, for the reasons mentioned above, receiving humanitarian assistance,
democratisation assistance and support for independent media.

Of particular relevance has been the action implemented by the Commission to relieve the cost related to
the refugee influx in the neighbour countries, where an amount of € 100 million has been made available,
in form of budgetary assistance, to Albania (€ 62 million), FYROM (€ 25 million) and the Republic of
Montenegro (€ 13 million).

(2000/C 170 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1483/99

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Initiatives intended to bring about the liberation of Cyprus

On 20 July 1974, Turkey invaded and occupied the northern part of Cyprus. The last 25 years have
witnessed arbitrary occupation based on force and oppression and involving a constant and systematic
violation of international law and human rights: thousands of people lost their lives as a consequence of
the invasion, the invaders have expelled hundreds of thousands of Greek Cypriots from their territory and
the same thing has happened to several thousand Turkish Cypriots as a result of systematic ethnic
cleansing (the very same ethnic cleansing which these days, as a response to the tragic events in Kosovo,
arouses indignation in so many noble spirits).

None of the UN resolutions calling for a peaceful solution to the crisis has had the slightest effect on
account of Turkey(cid:146)s intransigence, an attitude which is backed by the USA.

1.
Does the Council not think that it should act independently within any appropriate international
organisation in order to help re-establish international legality and restore the human rights which have
been violated as a result of the relations between Turkey and Cyprus?

2.
Does the Council not consider it both urgent and essential for it to take an active part in the proper
preparation of an international conference on the Middle East which would enable a realistic (in both its
methods and its timetable) programme to be drawn up, so as to allow (cid:145)crisis hot spots(cid:146) (cid:129) which, if allowed
to smoulder, may lead to one huge conflagration (cid:129) to be coded in good time?

Reply

(2 December 1999)

The Council believes that the best way forward in the Cyprus question, including the situation of human
rights, is to push ahead with the search for a solution on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolutions.
The Council welcomes the 9/10 June G-8 Summit conclusions and the UN Security Council Resolutions
1250 and 1251 of 29 June 1999 and considers that the invitation to UN talks this autumn without
preconditions, together with the Resolutions, have brought about new momentum. The Presidency will
continue supporting, together with other EU partners and international players, the efforts of the UNSG,
Mr Annan, to reduce tensions and to contribute to progress towards a negotiated settlement.

The Union also considers that progress towards EU accession and towards a just and viable solution to the
Cyprus problem should reinforce each other. It believes that Cyprus(cid:146)s accession to the EU should benefit all
communities and help bring about civil peace and reconciliation on the island. It regrets that it was not
possible to achieve a political solution in time for the start of accession negotiations. The Presidency
continues to work (in accordance with the conclusions of the European Council of Luxembourg) for the
involvement of representatives of the Turkish-Cypriot community in the EU accession negotiations.

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The Council has repeatedly stressed to Turkey, and will continue to do so, the need for Turkey(cid:146)s positive
contribution to the solution of the Cyprus problem. The Council expects countries with a European
vocation to cooperate with it over its major priorities, one of them being the accession of Cyprus to the
EU and a solution to the Cyprus question. Unfortunately Turkey has been blocking the political dialogue
with the Union on some sensitive questions, including Cyprus, since the European Council in Luxembourg.
However, following the earthquakes in Turkey and Greece and improving bilateral Greek-Turkish relations
the atmosphere in EU-Turkey relations has improved, hopefully paving the way for dialogue also on
Cyprus.

The Council does not share the view expressed by the Honourable Member that an international
conference on the Middle East could be beneficial in the case of Cyprus.

(2000/C 170 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1494/99

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Albania (cid:129) corridors 8 and 10

Information from Albania seems to confirm a plan giving preference to the completion of (cid:145)corridor 10(cid:146), a
road link between Greece and Montenegro via Albania, at the expense of the completion of what has until
now been regarded as a priority, namely (cid:145)corridor 8(cid:146), a link between southern Italy, Durres, Pristina, Skopje
and Sofia, i.e. between Albania and Kosovo and between Albania and Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Has the Commission any further information on this matter? Is it aware of the grave risks which the
carrying through of such a plan would entail for the stability of the entire region, the internal stability of
Albania and the comprehensive development of relations between, one the one hand, the European Union
and, on the other, Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo?

Can the Commission also provide information concerning the stage reached (including any delays and the
reasons for them) in the completion of corridors 8 and 10 and the Union(cid:146)s contribution thereto?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(15 October 1999)

Pan-European transport corridors VIII and X are two of six corridors, which cross the Balkan region and
connect to the Trans-European networks (TENs) and the South-East Europe area.

Corridor VII runs from East to West in the Balkan area. It links the south of Italy and the Adriatic Sea with
the Black Sea. It runs via the ports of D(cid:252)rres/Flores, Tirana (Albania) and Skopje (the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)), further to Sofia (Bulgaria) and to the Bulgarian ports of Burgas and
Varna of the Black Sea.

Corridor X runs from North-West to South-East. It connects Salzburg (Austria) via Ljubljana (Slovenia),
Zagreb (Croatia), Belgrade (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)), Skopje (FYROM), with Thessaloniki
(Greece). Besides this main link, there are four additional branches: (1) a branch from Graz (Austria) via
Maribor (Slovenia) to Zagreb (Croatia); (2) a branch from Budapest (Hungary) to Belgrade (FRY), both
connecting to Corridor V; (3) a branch from Nis (FRY) to Sofia (Bulgaria) and further on corridor IV to
Istanbul; (4) a branch from Veles (Fyrom) via Florina (Greece) to the Via Egnatia.

Connections between Albania and Romania are thus ensured through the links of corridor IV to corridor
VIII. In a similar way, Albania is also connected to the FRY through the links of corridor VIII to corridor X.
Albania is not therefore affected negatively by the development of corridor X.

The development of these corridors is organised through memoranda of understanding (MoU) between the
countries crossed and the Commission. Concrete improvements on each corridor remain in the hands of