A petition which calls for the return of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants, submitted to the leaders of the European Union and the United Kingdom by the Famagusta Association of Great Britain, has been received and is currently “under consideration”.
A letter sent to the President of the Association, Dr Vassilis Mavrou, by the Public Information Service on behalf of President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy, states that the EU “strongly believes that there is a genuine opportunity to solve the Cyprus issue once and for all, for the benefit of all the citizens of Cyprus and of the European Union.”
The letter also notes that the EU “strongly encourages the parties involved to quickly resume fully-fledged negotiations on a comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the United Nations.”
The European Council official response to the Famagusta petition adds that the EU “will continue to show its support and, with all the parties involved, stands ready to further strengthen it as soon as concrete progress will be seen.”
The letter on behalf of van Rompuy notes that the situation regarding Famagusta has been a topic for discussion on several occasions at the European Parliament.
A response by the Directorate-General for the Presidency of the European Parliament to the petition submitted to Martin Schultz by the Famagusta Association of Great Britain informs Dr Mavrou that the petition has been entered in the general register (under number 2794/2013).
It has also been forwarded to the Committee on Petitions, which will first decide whether it is admissible, meaning it comes within the EU’s “field of activities”. If so, then the European Parliament will consider the substance of the petition.
The President of the Famagusta Association of Great Britain has also received acknowledgments by 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office of the petition submitted on 9 December. The first one, on behalf of Prime Minister Cameron, states that the Association’s correspondence is currently under consideration.
The Foreign Office letter is signed by Minister for Europe David Lidington. The UK government official writes that he understands the concerns expressed in the Famagusta return petition. “Your petition demonstrates the strength of feeling for its return, as expressed by former residents and well-wishers alike, and highlights the need for a comprehensive settlement,” Lidington says.
“The UK continues to work with Cypriots in their pursuit of a just, sustainable and comprehensive settlement, and this includes the issue of Varosha. We fully support all relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 550 and 789 which address the future of the town. We have raised Varosha with the Turkish Cypriot and with the Turkish authorities. I remain convinced that, ultimately, a comprehensive settlement continues to be the best chance of resolving this complex issue,” he adds.
Lidington concludes by stating his agreement that measures to build confidence between the two communities can have great value in facilitating a comprehensive settlement. In that respect the UK government encourages the strengthening of inter-community relations, through business, cultural and other initiatives. Lidington writes: “The UK will continue to lend its support, as a friend of Cyprus, to efforts aimed at securing a comprehensive settlement for the people of Cyprus, including a resolution of the future of Famagusta.”
All of the above response letters are also addressed to the head of the Turkish Cypriot Union for Democracy (UK), an organisation that helped the Famagusta Association gather more than 50,000 signatures for the petition.
Dr Mavrou told CNA that the next step in their campaign to raise awareness about Famagusta is to present the petition to the leaders of the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats in the UK. It has already been sent to the Speaker for the House of Commons with the intention to be handed out to all Members of Parliament. Later on the petition will be sent to the leadership of the United Nations and the USA.
In the meantime, the Association carries on the work of collecting signatures for the return of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants.