Federation President meeting with Australian Special Representative on Cyprus

Peter Droussiotis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, met today Mr. Jim Short, Australian Government Special Envoy for Cyprus, who is on a working visit to the United Kingdom.

The meeting focused on efforts to involve the Cypriot diaspora worldwide in initiatives designed to contribute to rapprochement between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island and to the reunification of the country.  

The Australian envoy expressed his Government’s support for the Gambari process (agreed on 8th July 2006 between President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat) as well as Australia’s commitment to the reunification of the island on the basis of UN resolutions on Cyprus and international law. 

Mr. Droussiotis pointed out to the Australian envoy that the Greek Cypriot community in the UK and Greek Cypriots on the island are hugely disappointed and aggrieved with the UK Government’s policy on Cyprus, as illustrated by the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed last week between Turkey and the United Kingdom, in so far as this relates to Cyprus. Mr. Droussiotis sought the support and help of the Australian Government in articulating the need to the UK Government for a more balanced policy on Cyprus that recognises that the main cause of the problem is the continuing occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by more than 40,000 Turkish troops.

Mr Droussiotis and Mr Short agreed to maintain the dialogue and to co-operate in the context of initiatives by the Cypriot diaspora to contribute to efforts for the reunification of the island.