For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 21, 2004
Statement on Cyprus Settlement
Statement by the Press Secretary
Cyprus Settlement
On April 24, the people of Cyprus will make the momentous decision
of whether to accept a settlement plan presented by U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. This is an historic moment in which, for
the first time in decades, the Cypriot people control their own
political destiny. Secretary-General Annan has blended his wisdom as a
great statesman with Cypriot, Greek, and Turkish insights arising from
years of negotiations to formulate a settlement plan that is fair and
balanced. The Annan Plan offers a hopeful vision of a peaceful and
prosperous future for all Cypriots as citizens of a unified state in
the form of a bizonal, bicommunal federation that honors the traditions
of its diverse citizens while forging a common future within the
European Union.
The settlement that the Secretary-General finalized on March 31
outlines an equitable compromise in which no party receives everything
it seeks, but which satisfies the fundamental requirements of all
parties. The Plan foresees the return of over 120,000 Greek Cypriot
refugees to their former properties, the reduction of tens of thousands
of foreign troops to several hundred, and the enshrinement of human
rights and democratic freedoms in a new state with workable governing
institutions. These historic achievements are now within reach.
Should the Cypriot people accept the Annan Plan on April 24, they
will not stand alone. The United States and its partners in the
European Union have already pledged over $800 million to ensure
implementation of the settlement. More support will be forthcoming.
The friends of Cyprus around the world are thus extending heartfelt
encouragement for the people of Cyprus to make the decision of a
lifetime on April 24 in favor of peace, prosperity, and unity with the
European and Transatlantic families.
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