[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23912-23913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING OF THE 43RD ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC 
                               OF CYPRUS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 1, 2003

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker. I rise before you today in recognition of 
the 43rd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of

[[Page 23913]]

Cyprus. On October 1, 1960, Cyprus broke free from 80 years of British 
colonial rule to become its own independent Republic. Despite the 
hardships that the people of Cyprus have had to endure over the past 
four decades, they now have one of the most vibrant economies in all of 
Europe, and remain committed to the core principles enshrined in the 
Cyprus Constitution that guarantee basic rights and freedoms to both 
Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
  Over the past year, the people of Cyprus have had much to celebrate. 
The Republic was formally admitted into the European Union, the so-
called Green Line that separates the southern, government-controlled 
portion of the island from the northern occupied territory was 
partially opened so that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could explore the 
entirety of their homeland for the first time in nearly thirty years, 
and the Greek-Cypriots created and implemented a package of measures 
designed to assist their compatriots from the north in the areas of 
education, employment, healthcare, and trade.
  However, despite each of these positive advancements in the divided 
Republic, reunification of the island has yet to occur. Due to the 
obdurate stance of the Turkish-Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, 
negotiations have stalled and the United Nations has ceased its efforts 
to bring the two sides to an agreement. At this crucial juncture, it is 
absolutely imperative that the United States government continues to 
show support for reunification of Cyprus. Fueled by international 
support, the Greek and Turkish Cypriots will continue their calls for 
reunification, and the Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot leadership may be 
persuaded to reconsider their positions.
  In an effort to advance the peace process in Cyprus, I have 
introduced a bill, H. Res. 320, which calls for the removal of Turkish 
troops from the island. Reunification negotiations would be greatly 
facilitated by demilitarization of the area, as this current threat of 
violence is certainly not conducive to a peaceful process. I strongly 
urge each of my colleagues to cosponsor this important resolution. In 
addition, I ask that my colleagues join me in calling upon the Foreign 
Operations Appropriations subcommittee to work in conference to ensure 
that Cyprus receives funding at the $15 million level as it has in past 
fiscal years. US funding for Cyprus is used primarily for bicommunal 
programs that aim to encourage cooperation between the Greek and 
Turkish communities in Cyprus. The continuation of these worthwhile 
programs is absolutely essential to the reunification process, and, 
because of this, US funding is needed now more than ever.
  As the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus celebrate the 43rd 
anniversary of their nation's independence, I remain hopeful that the 
coming year will bring further advancements towards the reunification 
that both Greek and Turkish Cypriots have desired for decades.

                          ____________________