PROGRESS IN HIGH-LEVEL TALKS IN CYPRUS

Early day motion 2311, tabled 21 October 2008 by Andrew Dismore (Labour). Signed by 37 members.

That this House welcomes the beginning of high-level talks in Cyprus between Cypriot leaders Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat which opened on 3rd September with substantive talks on 11th and 18th September and 10th and 22nd October; further welcomes the initiative taken by Andreas Demetriou, the Education and Culture Minister, in designating this school year's core goal to cultivate an intercultural spirit aimed at reunification where Greek and Turkish Cypriots live together peacefully, the opening on 29th September of the Women's Multicultural Centre in Nicosia, the launch of the Centre for Democracy and Reconciliation in South East Europe's workbooks in Greek and Turkish for use in Cypriot schools, the initiative taken by President Christofias to cancel the annual military exercise of the Republic's national guard, code-name Nikiforos, followed by the reciprocal Turkish Cypriot cancellation of Taurus, and the International Women's Media Foundation's 2008 Courage in Journalism award presented to Sevgul Uludag, particularly for her interviews with Greek and Turkish Cypriot relatives of the missing persons; regrets the failure to open the Kato Pyrgos/Kokkina/Erenköy/Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing in North East Cyprus; and hopes that the two Cypriot leaders will continue their meetings until they reach a Cypriot settlement for Cyprus.

Signatures by party: Labour 22, Liberal Democrat 6, Conservative 5, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Independent 1, UKIP 1.