THE new ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Ireland has called on the international community "to express their solidarity with Cyprus in more tangible terms." This follows the killing of two Greek Cypriots by Turkish forces this week.
Mr Vanias Markides said the two killings at the buffer zone between the two parts of Cyprus indicated "the need to accelerate the efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem."
There had been "numerous important UN Security Council resolutions" concerning Cyprus, he said, but they had not been implemented.
Mr Markides presented his credentials to the President, Mrs Robinson, at Aras an Uachtarain yesterday. He is based in London as ambassador to Britain, but says he will visit Ireland regularly.
Cyprus previously conducted its diplomatic relations with Ireland through its embassy in Brussels. According to Mr Markides, his government hopes to open a full residential embassy in Ireland within the next few years.
"An unequivocal international condemnation of Turkey is essential if such incidents are to be prevented in the future," Mr Markides said. "The strongest possible message should be given by the EU and the international community to Turkey."
While the killings might increase the momentum towards a resolution of the Cyprus dispute, we would prefer to increase the momentum without the murders of innocent people. But this incident throws light on the instability of the situation in Cyprus, and I hope that the countries that are in a position to exercise influence on Turkey will do so."
The United States, he said, was in the best position to put pressure on Turkey to make concessions to resolve the island's problems. But while the US should concentrate on the international aspects of the problem, the EU had an important role to play in the formulation of new internal structures on the island.
He said his government would work closely with the recently appointed representative of the Irish EU Presidency, Mr Kester Heaslip.
"We need to draw on Europe's experience when we discuss how Cyprus is run in the future," Mr Markides said. "Europe has dealt with many internal divisions and constitutional problems in the past, and their know how is very important."