A paper published by ELIAMEP on the Cyprus issue
As the December EU Summit meeting is drawing closer, there is a noticeable increase in diplomatic attention regarding the Cyprus problem. Although all involved parties and external observers have important incentives to contribute to the success of bicommunal talks, expectations for a positive outcome are rather limited. The present paper -the third published by ELIAMEP on the Cyprus issue in the last few months, with two more papers to follow soon, one from a Turkish and one from a Turkish-Cypriot author, argues that for many Greek-Cypriots the fundamental question “what model can lead to a viable solution?” has not been answered in a satisfactory manner. Despite several rounds of meetings, there is considerable distance between the two communities on several major issues: constitutional issues, governance, property issues, the three fundamental freedoms, security, settlers, territorial issue, economy. The author argues that a solution based on a functional federation may prompt a dynamic toward integration. Furthermore, while it addresses the fundamental concerns of the two communities and of all citizens it can consolidate the Republic of Cyprus as a viable state without guarantor powers, reflecting its status as a full member of the EU. Cyprus should also become a member of a western collective security organization.
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