We do not believe that a separate EU track on the Cyprus issue would be successful, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, at a meeting with Cyprus journalists, in the Hague.
Christiaan Rebergen, the Ministry’s Secretary General said that the EU and his country strongly support the UN-led process and the UNSC Resolutions and promote communication between the two communities on the island, calling for a dialogue at people level.
He was invited to comment on the new stance of the Trump administration and his view on EU-US dialogue, noting that the EU values the relation with the US no matter which government is in power, because it is crucial for EU security and economy.
“We are committed to finding a pragmatic relation with the new administration. US is a strong partner for us and for the EU and it is important to address proposals on the table,” he went on to say.
Replying to a question about the LGBTQI+ rights and Trump’s rhetoric, he said that the Netherlands will remain a strong defender of human rights.
Asked about the Middle East crisis, he applauded the humanitarian role of Cyprus in evacuating Dutch citizens. “Cyprus is the member state with the closest proximity to the region and an important partner in the EU and has a much better understanding of the regional situation,” he said.
He admitted that the role of the EU in the Middle East has been modest and that “we do not always have the same position on the issue”.
Rebregen was asked to comment of the stance of the EU in Ukraine as opposed to Cyprus and noted that the impact of the Ukraine invasion is existential. He went on to say that the conflicts are different. “But we do understand how the issue is affecting the Cyprus people,” he said.
“We do not forget Cyprus”, he underlined.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Secretary General said that migration, housing, energy and climate crisis are priority issues for the EU, noting that we need to lower the energy prices and be less dependent on other countries.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Also read: Dutch Royal couple to pay Cyprus a state visit in March
Source: CNA
