Greece not invited in EU talks on direct trade with Turkish-Cypriot community: foreign ministry

The Greek Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Greece had not been invited to take part in a meeting currently being set up by the Finnish EU presidency, in order to discuss a regulation for direct trade between the EU and the Turkish-Cypriot community.

Foreign Ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said that Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis had spoken with her Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja on Tuesday by phone, but the issue of Greece's attendance was not raised.

"There are interested parties. If the discussion had to be expanded to the member-states, then it would have to take place with all the states. It is carried out only with the interested parties," he said.

Regarding Cyprus, meanwhile, Koumoutsakos said that Cyprus had clearly stated its willingness to participate in these talks as a state.

Concerning the efforts underway to settle the direct-trade issue,Koumoutsakos said this was a "sensitive issue" and that it would have to be resolved in ways that were in accordance with UN resolutions and international legality with respect to Cyprus.

The effort to settle the direct-trade regulation should take place until Nov. 8, the date when the European Commission's progress report on Turkey was due to be made public.

Source: Xinhua