Official visit by Martin SCHULZ, EP President to Cyprus:&nbsp;visit to the anthropological laboratory of the Committee for Missing Persons (CMP) - extracts from the meeting with the leaders of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties in the context of the Initiative of the Slovak Embassy (29/03).
Extracts from the doorstep by Martin SCHULZ, EP President and by Espen Barth EIDE, UNSG Special Adviser on Cyprus (30/03).

meeting

visit

official visit

EU - Cyprus (T)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

Cyprus

Nicosia

EU - Northern Cyprus (T)

Official visit by Martin SCHULZ, EP President to Cyprus: visit to the anthropological laboratory of the Committee for Missing Persons (CMP) - extracts from the meeting with the leaders of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties

Arrival of EP President Martin Schulz and handshakes

EP President Martin SCHULZ shaking hands with the staff of the anthropological laboratory of the Committee for Missing Persons (CMP)

The delegation visits the anthropological laboratory of the Committee for Missing Persons (CMP) ( 5 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, it is a contribution to bring dignity to those who lost dignity because they were killed and disappeared, to bring solidarity to those who suffered because their loved ones disappeared and were never found and it is a contribution to bring the communities together because the victims are on both sides, the sadness is on both sides but hope via giving back dignity and respect to individuals is a very good basi for bringing peace in future. Therefore what are you doing here is not only from a  scientific point of view fascinating, it is from  a political and from a human point of view unique.

Roundtable of meeting with the leaders of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties in the context of the Initiative of the Slovak Embassy(4 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Conclusion from today is that there is hope, there is a window of a opportunity, there is a chance now and we agreed in our assessment of my visit and of his work here, that there is now really the possibility of a historical step forward. There is still a lot of things to do.  Also my feeling after the two days here, at the end, the old diplomatic experience method: Nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed, therefore there is still a lot of work ahead. But I repeat there is a hopeful development. I must underline and I informed the special advisor about both my meetings with Mr ANASTASIADES and Mr AKINICI yesterday that I am also optimistic.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I guaranteed also the full support of the EP for the UN here on different levels. The Commission is already present here in the country, a lot of different civil servants of the Commission try to support the talks by becoming very concrete and very precise items preparing common future and we as EP will support with all our means, also budgetary means, in a moment where this is needed for the work in progress here on the island. So, for us a moment of real hope, I must underline once more, it is in the end, a sovereign decision of the country, no body from outside can play a more decisive role than the citizens of Cyprus. But what we can contribute to create a frame in which at the end a successful process can be concluded, that is guaranteed that we will do.

SOUNDBITE (English), Espen Barth EIDE, UNSG Special Adviser on Cyprus, One of my ambitious when I arrived here was to ensure that we solve this obviously as a Cypriot problem which is to the Cypriot people have to decide on but also as a European problem because we have the only European union member state that is on the agenda of the EU security council, because it is divided, that is an anomaly we are trying to overcome the anomaly. We are also trying to ensure and we are working tirelessly to ensure the European character of the settlement. We are seeking a bi-communal federation fully in line with the European principles.

SOUNDBITE (English), Espen Barth EIDE, UNSG Special Adviser on Cyprus, The level of cooperation between the EU, all the European institutions and the UN but I will add to that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund work very closely together in a seamless manner and one of the areas that have been most successful in my view so far is to layout the full prospect of an economic integration.