Election Of Demetris Christofias As President Of Cyprus

EDM number 1039 in 2007-08, proposed by Andrew Dismore on 26/02/2008.
Categorised under the topics of Elections, Europe and Western Europe.

That this House warmly congratulates Demetris Christofias, leader of AKEL, on his election in the Cyprus Presidential elections on 24th February; also welcomes the statement of the runner-up, former Cyprus Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides MEP, offering his unconditional support to the new President, particularly as far as the solution of the national problem is concerned; and, after years of a stalled process for settlement, calls upon President elect Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to take advantage of this new appointment to implement promptly confidence building measures including supporting the opening of the Ledra Palace/Lakmaci checkpoint in central Nicosia and other checkpoints, progress on Famagusta/Varosha, demining throughout the Buffer Zone, the teaching of each other's language in state and other schools, efforts to preserve and enhance the natural environment of Cyprus, following the success of the work of the UN Missing Persons Committee, setting up the committees envisaged in the Gambari Agreement of 8th July 2006 to deal with issues identified by Cypriots, and to consider setting up a process involving individual Cypriots, civil society and social partners to allow Cypriots to come together to own the process of creating their own future in their own demilitarised, peaceful and reunited island; and sees Mr Christofias's election, given his long track record of working across the divide for a just solution in Cyprus, as the best hope for a settlement for many years.

This motion has been signed by a total of 36 MPs.