[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7984-S7985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RELATIVE TO THE SITUATION ON CYPRUS

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 115, Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 41.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 41) calling for a 
     United States initiative seeking a just and peaceful 
     resolution of the situation on Cyprus.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the concurrent resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements 
relating to the resolution appear at this point in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 41) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 41

       Whereas the Republic of Cyprus has been divided and 
     occupied by foreign forces since 1974 in violation of United 
     Nations resolutions;
       Whereas the international community, Congress, and 
     successive United States administrations have called for an 
     end to the status quo on Cyprus, considering that it 
     perpetuates an unacceptable violation of international law 
     and fundamental human rights affecting all the people of 
     Cyprus, and undermines significant United States interests in 
     the Eastern Mediterranean region;
       Whereas the international community and the United States 
     Government have repeatedly called for the speedy withdrawal 
     of all foreign forces from the territory of Cyprus;
       Whereas there are internationally acceptable means to 
     resolve the situation in Cyprus, including the 
     demilitarization of Cyprus and the establishment of a 
     multinational force to ensure the security of both 
     communities in Cyprus;
       Whereas during the past year tensions in Cyprus have 
     dramatically increased, with violent incidents occurring 
     along cease-fire lines at a level not reached since 1974;
       Whereas recent events in Cyprus have heightened the 
     potential for armed conflict in the region involving two 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, Greece and 
     Turkey, which would threaten vital United States interests in 
     the already volatile Eastern Mediterranean area and beyond;
       Whereas a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to the 
     Cyprus problem would greatly benefit the security, and the 
     political, economic, and social well-being of all Cypriots, 
     as well as contribute to improved relations between Greece 
     and Turkey;
       Whereas a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem would also 
     strengthen peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean 
     and serve important interests of the United States;
       Whereas the United Nations has repeatedly stated the 
     parameters for such a solution, most recently in United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 1092, adopted on December 
     23, 1996, with United States support;
       Whereas the prospect of the accession by Cyprus to the 
     European Union, which the United States has actively sup- 
     ported, could serve as a catalyst for a solution to the 
     Cyprus problem;
       Whereas President Bill Clinton has pledged that in 1997 the 
     United States will ``play a heightened role in promoting a 
     resolution in Cyprus''; and
       Whereas United States leadership will be a crucial factor 
     in achieving a solution to the Cyprus problem, and increased 
     United States involvement in the search for this solution 
     will contribute to a reduction of tension on Cyprus: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) reaffirms its view that the status quo on Cyprus is 
     unacceptable and detrimental to the interests of the United 
     States in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond;
       (2) considers that lasting peace and stability on Cyprus 
     could be best secured by--
       (A) a process of complete demilitarization leading to the 
     withdrawal of all foreign occupation forces;
       (B) the cessation of foreign arms transfers to Cyprus; and
       (C) the provision of alternative internationally acceptable 
     and effective security arrangements with guaranteed rights 
     for both communities as negotiated by the parties;
       (3) welcomes and supports the commitment by President 
     Clinton to give increased attention to Cyprus and to make the 
     search for a solution a priority of United States foreign 
     policy, as witnessed by the appointment of Ambassador Richard 
     Holbrooke as Special Presidential Emissary for Cyprus; and
       (4) calls upon the parties to lend their full support and 
     cooperation to United States, United Nations, and other 
     international efforts to promote an equitable and speedy 
     resolution of the Cyprus problem--
       (A) on the basis of international law, the provisions of 
     relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and 
     democratic principles, including respect for human rights; 
     and
       (B) in accordance with the norms and requirements for 
     accession to the European Union.

  Mr. BIDEN. I rise to congratulate the Senate on having adopted Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 41, which calls for a United States initiative 
seeking a just and peaceful resolution on the situation on Cyprus.
  Senator Smith of Oregon and I submitted this resolution last week in 
the Committee on Foreign Relations, where it received speedy and 
favorable action. I applaud my colleagues for having adopted the 
resolution today.
  For 23 years Cyprus has been divided, with the northern part occupied 
by Turkish troops, and the southern part home to the Greek Cypriot 
community. Tensions remain high, and since Cyprus has become one of the 
most heavily armed places in the world, the possibility for serious 
hostilities is high. So, Mr. President, it is clear that the status quo 
on Cyprus is detrimental to U.S. interests in the volatile Eastern 
Mediterranean region.
  The resolution declares that lasting peace and stability on Cyprus 
could best be served by complete demilitarization leading to the 
withdrawal of all foreign occupation forces, the cessation of foreign 
arms transfers to Cyprus, and the provision of alternative 
internationally acceptable and effective security arrangements with 
guaranteed rights for both communities as negotiated by the parties.
  The resolution also welcomes and supports President Clinton's 
commitment to give increased attention to Cyprus as witnessed by 
Ambassador Holbrook's appointment as Special Presidential Emissary for 
Cyprus.
  Finally, the resolution calls upon the parties to lend their full 
support and cooperation to United States, United Nations, and other 
international efforts to promote an equitable and speedy resolution of 
the Cyprus problem on the basis of international law,

[[Page S7985]]

relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, and democratic principles, 
including respect for human rights, and in accordance with the norms 
and requirements for accession to the European Union.
  This last item is important, Mr. President, giving the naming earlier 
this month of Cyprus to the first group of candidate countries for 
final membership negotiations with the European Union, along with 
Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and Estonia.
  Mr. President, the intolerable situation on Cyprus must be changed. 
Face to face negotiations between the two parties have resumed, and 
there are some grounds for optimism. I hope that this resolution will 
serve to energize the parties to come to a just and lasting agreement.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

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