A staunch friend should not be neglected

By Kesava Menon

NICOSIA, NOV. 24. It is a sign of the close friendship between India and Cyprus that there is no resentment here at the fact that the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, had to drop his plan to visit the island Republic at the end of September and that too at the last minute.

Cyprus has on numerous occasions, and at all international fora, demonstrated that it is sensitive to India's compulsions and concerns. A friendship of this depth can prove invaluable to India if, as seems very likely, Cyprus becomes a member of the European Union within the next couple of years.

As a full-fledged member of the EU, Cyprus will have an equal vote with every other member in the Commission's highest decision-making bodies.

Since the decisions of the Commission are taken by unanimous vote of all member states, the input by Cyprus will be as important, technically, as those of any other member state. If the past conduct of Cyprus in the international fora is considered, it is amply clear that the status Cyprus will soon acquire can prove invaluable to India.

It is almost a standing rule in Cypriot foreign policy that their diplomats should follow India's lead in for a such as the Non- Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth etc. Transposed into the future it will mean that India will have a strong advocate in the highest decision-making bodies of the EU.

Cyprus, and the even tinier island Republic of Malta, are the only two candidates for the EU membership who fulfill the political and economic criteria for membership. The process of accession to the EU requires that the prospective members bring their laws into conformity with those of the existing member- states of the Union.

For the process of accession the bodies of legislation are treated as belonging to different ``chapters'' of which there are 31 in all-as for example the laws pertaining to agriculture or the environment etc. will be treated as belonging to separate chapters.

Cyprus had to negotiate on 29 of the 31 chapters and by the third quarter of this year they had provisionally close 23 of the 29.

While Cyprus, among all aspiring members, has the largest number of chapters closed, the EU's basic principle is that none of the chapters will be considered closed till all are closed. Yet, Cyprus is confident that they can conclude all chapters by the middle of 2002, though a question mark hangs over the chapter pertaining to agriculture.

This sector makes for only 4 per cent of the Cypriot economy currently but the island Republic has a strong desire to sustain its agriculture sector for social and environmental reasons. The agrarian look of this island Republic does not only make for much of its charm (and is thereby necessary from the tourism point as well).

But the agrarian way of life is very much part of daily existence-with even householders in urban centres, very keen cultivators of olives, figs etc. and the sustaining of the rural areas will prevent uncontrolled emigration to the cities and environmental problems they bring.

Cyprus therefore hopes that they will be able to circumvent EU regulations on subsidies especially since their agricultural produce (mainly winter crops) compliments agricultural production in northern Europe.

If Cyprus and the EU are able to close all chapters pertaining to accession by the middle of next year they will follow a ten to eighteen month period during which European parliaments have to ratify the accession.

Cyprus hopes that it will become a full-fledged member of the EU before elections to the European parliament scheduled for mid- 2004.

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Section  : International
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