Cyprus settlement absolute priority, says Tassos

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos assured on Thursday that a solution of the Cyprus problem constitutes an absolute priority because time passes by at the expense of reunification and the wounds get deeper, adding that a settlement must lead to the real reunification of Cyprus, the society, the economy, the territory and its institutions, based on UN Security Council resolutions and on the principles upon which the EU was founded.

In a speech at the state banquet in honour of President of Slovakia Ivan Gasparovic, President Papadopoulos said the solution must unite, be functional and just and prescribe a European future, common for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, noting that the government remains committed to the immediate implementation of the July 8 agreement and that the delay and lack of progress in this direction is a cause of particular worry and concern as to the kind of solution that is truly sought by the other side.

President Papadopoulos said the talks he had earlier with Gasparovic ''have confirmed the high level of our bilateral relations which develop within a climate of appreciation, respect and trust for the mutual interest of our two peoples and our countries.''

''I am, therefore, optimistic and look forward to the further enhancement of our cooperation, both on the bilateral level and within the framework of the EU as well as in other international fora, because I believe that the potential for strengthening our bonds of cooperation is unlimited when this is governed by good will and constructive spirit,'' he added.

He expressed satisfaction that the Slovakian President included in his accompanying delegation a number of distinguished businessmen from Slovakia, with special interest and inclination in investigating the possibilities to start business and cooperation in various fields of the economy, such as trade and services.President Papadopoulos noted that ''Cyprus has laid strong foundations and today can be proud of her transformation into a contemporary International Services Centre and a base for investment activities in the wider region of the Middle East,'' adding that the island has also managed to win the modern traveller, tourist, sightseer and businessman, by offering high quality tourist infrastructure, hospitality, sun, sea, archaeological treasures and a century-old cultural tradition.

''Consequently, there is room as well as challenges for cooperation in the field of tourism as well and it is up to the businessmen to seize the opportunities which lay ahead,'' he pointed out.

President Papadopoulos also said that Slovakia and Cyprus are related through historic bilateral bonds and bonds of coexistence and cooperation in the big European family, and expressed gratitude for the Slovakian contribution ''through the active presence of her citizens, in the military contingent of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus.''

''We are also grateful for the fact that your country, as a non permanent member of the UN Security Council, did not fail to place Cyprus in her priorities. At the same time we do not forget Slovakia's steadfast support so far within the Security Council,'' he added.

Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on 8 July 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of UN official Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.