Examination of Witnesses (Questions 220-224)
16 NOVEMBER 2004
MR DENIS
MACSHANE
MP AND MR
DOMINICK CHILCOTT
Q220 Chairman: You set out the difficulties.
Are you saying that you do not think it worth seeking to explore
that change?
Mr MacShane: I had no suggestion
from any of my interlocutors, particularly on the Republic of
Cyprus side, that simply inviting another power's troops to come
in would do the trick. If they announce that and put a proposition
to us and say "We are ready to go out and campaign for Annan
Five but simply with tweaking in terms of troop levels",
that would be very interesting. If we could have an assurance
from President Papadopoulos and all AKEL and all the parties in
Cyprus, "Give us fewer Turkish troops or security troops
badged in a different way, whether from another foreign power,
from NATO, the EU, and that opens the door and we will sign up
for Annan Five", that would be a very interesting proposition
but I do not know if the Committee felt that such a statement
was likely to emerge at the moment from the different leaders
of the government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot
region.
Q221 Chairman: You have quite properly
said you are wary of top down solutions and much must come well
up from the people from the two communities. I know Friends of
Cyprus have said that there should be much greater efforts to
build bridges between the two communities, perhaps in London but
also on the island itself. Does the United Kingdom government
have any specific initiatives in this field to break down the
barriers of suspicion between the two communities on the island?
Mr MacShane: To encourage them.
They can both freely walk across the Green Line now. I do remember
in the past that some, particularly parties on the left, were
talking to each other thinking the problem in Cyprus was one of
class politics rather than national differences but I think we
have now seen that the division in Cyprus, alas, has become such
in the last 30 years that people are Greek first or Turkish first
rather than workers—
Q222 Chairman: That said, are we prepared
to broker any initiatives to—
Mr MacShane: Our High Commission
does. It organises and is used regularly for meetings, and I really
do think that putting AKEL and let us say one of the left wing
parties of the Turkish Cypriot community together—you do
not need the British government to do that; they do it anyway
across the Green Lanes, let alone the Green Line, in London. These
meetings and discussions take place all the time. Believe me,
I understand the desire of the Committee to find solutions and
ways forward; I would love to see them. We have conferences at
Wilton Park and Ditchley Park; there is one organised early next
year involving Cyprus at Wilton Park to which all the members
of the Community will come. I assisted at one in Hydra, the Greek
island, where Turkish Cypriots were present as well as Turkish
political leaders and representatives. Those discussions are happening
all the time.
Q223 Chairman: Can you give us a list
whilst you are writing to the Committee saying what has been done
by the High Commission, by HMG over the past 12 months and what
we are planning over the next 12 months? [6]
Mr MacShane: By all means. With
pleasure.
Q224 Chairman: Very helpful. May I thank
you on behalf of the Committee. We understand the vast difficulties
and we know that you will be doing what you can within the Union
and elsewhere to build bridges.
Mr MacShane: I look forward to
reading the Committee's report.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister.
6 Please refer to the supplementary memorandum submitted
by the FCO, Ev 59. Back
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