January 11, 2000.

The PDSR prime vice-president Adrian Năstase considers that the problem created in Cyprus by the foreign support of an ethnic community represents a precedent that Romania must take into account as regards the problem of Transylvania. Although cautious, the declaration that takes sides with Cyprus in the dispute with Turkey — which occupied a part of Cyprus in 1974 in order to “protect” the Turkish community on the island — might jeopardize Romanian-Turkish relations.

The deputy vice-president of the Social Democracy Party of Romania (PDSR), Adrian Năstase, considers that the problem created in Cyprus by the foreign support of an ethnic community represents a precedent that Romania must take into account as regards the problem of Transylvania. “It is important for us to watch the institutional evolutions of this problem, which is grounded on the acquirement of certain advantages, of a certain status for a certain ethnic community after the intervention of some foreign supportive forces,” Adrian Năstase declared during his visit to Cyprus.

The PDSR leader met during his visit with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides, who presented him with the latest evolutions of the direct negotiations patronized by the U.N. general secretary for solving the problem of Cyprus. Năstase showed that the situation in Cyprus “is one of the most delicate files” also for the European Union, considering the decision regarding the beginning of the negotiations with Cyprus for admission to the EU and the acknowledgement of Turkey’s status as candidate. “The most important problem is the solution to be adopted for the northern zone of Cyprus, which was occupied in 1974 by the Turkish troops: either the federative form or the confederate one,” the PDSR leader said.

He also said that the negotiations for solving the problem of Cyprus will continue at the end of January in Geneva.

According to the PDSR leader, he pleaded during his meeting with the Cypriot president for the conclusion of an agreement between Romania and Cyprus regarding the social insurance paid by the Romanians working in this country. Năstase mentioned that about 15,000 Romanians who are working in Cyprus pay social insurance in this country but don’t benefit from it when they return to Romania.

Adrian Năstase also met with the President of the Cypriot Parliament, Spiros Kiprianou, with the former Foreign Affairs Minister George Iacovou, and with Cypriot MPs with whom he discussed the European integration problem. He said that he also met with many businessmen, as in Romania there are over 600 joint ventures with Cypriot capital and there are many possibilities for the development of the bilateral financial and banking relations.

© 2000 Monitorul Online.