Rasmussen squats the EU meeting and solves the Turkish-Cypriot problem!

(BRUSSELS2 / Palma de Mallorca) Anders Fogh Rasmussen skilfully took advantage of the absence of the High Representative of the EU to make a noteworthy intervention during the meeting and a conference of
press in solo. Nice media stunt...

The Secretary General of NATO seemed particularly keen on it since he did not hesitate to hang around, for at least 20 minutes, in a sofa in the hotel where the press was held, in order to be able to access the main press conference room (rather than the small room reserved for "delegations"). Having planted the NATO flag on the platform (to the chagrin of the "Europeans" present), he thus gave a brilliant lesson in geopolitics... not far from misinformation.

When Anders Fogh solves the Cypriot-Turkish problem in two stages, three movements...

Rasmussen's proposals. Anders Fogh Rasmussen has, above all, insist on the need to break the deadlock that exists between the two organisations. He is " absurd that the EU and NATO are in the same theaters but cannot conclude a security agreement” he explained to the press. And he did three proposals to break this deadlock”: 1° An administrative arrangement concluded by the European Defense Agency and Turkey; 2° The EU and Turkey sign a bilateral security agreement; 3° More active involvement of non-EU contributors in the decision-making process for operations”. Rasmussen cited, as an example, thus " NATO's experience in Afghanistan to associate non-member countries closely and very actively with the ISAF operation ". And he pointed out « that Turkey is the second largest contributor to the (EU) operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina ". Of course, he admitted, in response to questions from journalists, « the political aspect of the EU-NATO relationship is really sensitive. But this sensitivity cannot be an excuse to stay longer like this ».

The reaction of Cyprus. The Cypriot Minister of Defense, Costa Papacostas, failed to choke on this (re)reading of history. In session, he did it note : " We are open to finding practical ways of cooperation. The best way to cooperate with NATO would be a political agreement. More the EU is at 27. And Turkey's attitude of not recognizing Cyprus is provocative and does not allow Cyprus to do otherwise (than to block the deal). " We are waiting " a gesture » he explained. An attitude supported by several delegations, it seems. (1)

Comment: who is blocking whom? Rasmussen's proposals are not really new. And the Secretary General of NATO knows perfectly well the international political dimension of the problem. If Cyprus is blocking all relations with Turkey, it is because the latter country not only does not recognize Cyprus but militarily supports the "Republic of Northern Cyprus" recognized by no State (apart from Turkey) and maintains its armed forces there. In fact, there is illegal occupation of a territory by a NATO member state of an EU member state. It is also the only piece of EU territory where there is a large presence of a foreign military force. And on the "enlarged" European continent, with the Russian presence in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, this is the oldest case of "illegal" appropriation of the territory of one State by another (under the same pretext, moreover, of protecting "its" co-religionists).

(1)Cyprus has just protested to the UN against the violation of its airspace (read). 

(photo credit: Rasmussen in Palma de Mallorca during the press conference, © NGV)