110 HRES 407 IH: Expressing the strong support of the House U.S. House of Representatives 2007-05-15 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 407 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 15, 2007 Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. Space) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the strong support of the House of Representatives for the positive actions by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus aimed at opening additional crossing points along the cease-fire line, thereby contributing to efforts for the reunification of the island.

Whereas the Republic of Cyprus has been forcibly divided since 1974, and a lasting, just, and peaceful solution to the division of Cyprus would greatly benefit the security as well as the economic and social well-being of all Cypriots and would serve the United States national interests; Whereas the achievement of a just and lasting Cyprus settlement is a central objective of United States foreign policy as established by section 620C of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which, inter alia, calls for the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from Cyprus and a peaceful solution that guarantees the human rights of all Cypriots; Whereas since the partial lifting of the movement restrictions across the cease-fire line in April 2003, there have been more than 12,000,000 incident-free crossings, contributing to greater interaction between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots; Whereas, on July 8, 2006, President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, agreed, under the auspices of the United Nations Under Secretary General Ibrahim Gambari, to a set of principles to begin a process of bi-communal discussions, the success of which would be greatly facilitated by the implementation of confidence building measures; Whereas in the spirit of the July 8 agreement, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, on March 8, 2007, demolished a wall at Ledra Street in Nicosia, a key thoroughfare through the divided capital, as a gesture to facilitate the opening of Ledra Street as a crossing point; Whereas the opening of Ledra Street carries with it enormous symbolism for the reunification of the divided capital of Nicosia and the island of Cyprus; Whereas, on March 27, 2007, the United Nations Security Council, in a statement on Cyprus, indicated that, the members of the Security Council share the [United Nations] Secretary General’s hope that confidence-building measures of this kind will be part of a broader move to resume full-fledged negotiations aimed at a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem; Whereas according to the April 2007 survey results of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNIFCYP), the majorities in both communities say they are convinced that day-to-day bi-communal contact is essential to pave the way for a united Cyprus, that the United Nations has an important role to play in Cyprus, and that UNIFCYP’s presence on the island is essential; Whereas, on May 3, 2007, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus took a further positive action and demolished a National Guard post at Kato Pyrgos with a view to opening a new crossing point in the area; Whereas there remain considerable obstacles to the safe and secure opening of Ledra Street, including the de-mining of the buffer zone, inspection of the neglected buildings in the buffer zone for structural damage, and most important, the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the area; and Whereas the removal of the impediments will contribute to establishing confidence between the two communities and serve as momentum for the reunification of Cyprus: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)commends the Government of the Republic of Cyprus for the positive steps it has taken aimed at opening additional crossing points along the cease-fire line which further increases the social and economic interaction between the two sides of the island; (2)expresses its belief that the opening of Ledra Street in Nicosia and Kato Pyrgos crossing points will contribute to building confidence between the two communities and to greater social and economic interaction with positive effects in the efforts for the reunification of Cyprus in a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation where the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots are respected; (3)urges the implementation of the measures needed to allow for the crossing of individuals in safety and security at Ledra Street, primarily the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the immediate area as a necessary condition for the opening of the crossing point, as well as securing that the area is free of mines and inspecting the surrounding buildings for structural damage; and (4)calls on the United States Government to continue its historic support for the reunification of the island, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, and to work for the complete withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus.