DANIEL FRIED: U.S. WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE NORTHERN CYPRUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.06.2006 15:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said Turkey should open its sea ports
and airports to Cyprus if it hopes to become a member of the European
Union. He also said that the U.S. will never recognize the breakaway
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and only aims to reunite the
island.

At a conference held by the Greek Cypriots, Fried said, “Turkey
should open its ports to Cyprus ships and airplanes and fulfill its
responsibility of expanding the Customs Union agreement in a way to
include the Republic of Cyprus.”

Fried stated that the United States will continue helping the both
parts reach a solution with the help of the United Nations and
two-party talks.

But he added: “We do not recognize and will not recognize any
government other than the Republic of Cyprus on the Cyprus Island. We
are quite open about this issue. None of our policies are aimed at
recognizing another political existence; the United States does not
even imply this. Cyprus is a single country. We have a single embassy
there and it will remain so,” reported the Anatolian news agency.