[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20988]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE CYPRIOT PEACE PROCESS

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, 1 year ago this month, the United Nations 
Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, 
presided over a joint meeting between the President of the Republic of 
Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, and the head of the Turkish Cypriot 
community, Mehmet Ali Talat. Their discussions reaffirmed a commitment 
by both sides to forge a lasting peace on Cyprus and push forward with 
talks to that end.
  In the months since that meeting, the Cypriot peace process has 
stagnated. The talks that both sides agreed to never took place, and 
petty disputes over bureaucratic issues have stymied progress on 
substantive negotiations. Simply put, the people of Cyprus deserve 
better.
  A generation of Cypriots has now grown to adulthood estranged from 
their peaceful shared history and their promising shared destiny. I 
believe we must correct this wrong before others on the island endure a 
similar fate. Unless the peace process begins to move at a much faster 
pace, that may not happen.
  In the last few days, there have been some signs of progress but also 
troubling indications that the paralysis of the past year might 
continue. President Papadopoulos invited Mr. Talat to discuss the peace 
process, a significant step in the right direction. However, Mr. 
Talat--after first accepting the invitation--later claimed that it was 
not the right time for a meeting. I sincerely hope he will change his 
view and that the resulting discussions will yield real results. 
Neither side can afford to engage in another round of foot-dragging. I 
do not want to look back in a year on another anniversary of missed 
opportunities.
  Since 2003, there have been millions of peaceful crossings at the 
Green Line that segregates the island's two communities. Cypriots of 
all ethnicities have clearly demonstrated their ability to coexist. It 
is time for political leaders to bring their policies in line with the 
actions of their people. As part of that process, Turkey should begin 
the withdrawal of troops from Cyprus. The presence of these forces is 
neither justified nor necessary and complicates efforts to return the 
island to a state of lasting peace.
  Mr. President, as I have said before, the reunification of Cyprus 
will have significance far beyond the Mediterranean. The island could 
serve as an example of how different ethnic groups can overcome past 
wrongs, bridge differences, and live together as neighbors. I am 
confident that future generations of Cypriots can serve as such a model 
and, in doing so, enjoy the peace that they rightly deserve. I hope 
that their political leaders will move quickly to afford them that 
opportunity.

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