Oranges, lemons, and tractors make for that special relationship
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been politically divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup, unleashed by the military junta then ruling in Athens. What ensured was the longest unresolved military stand-off in contemporary European history.
The Turkish intervention followed huge intercommunal riots and effectively partitioned the island, with the northern third inhabited by Turkish-Cypriots and the remainder under Greek Cypriots. It was the end of the unitary state bequeathed by the British. A UN buffer zone, also known as the "Green Line" - dividing the two parts from Morphou through Nicosia to Famagusta - is patrolled by UN troops. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised solely by Turkey.
Currently, few international flights aside from Turkish aircraft land in Northern Cyprus, where nearly 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed, while an international embargo compels most trade with Northern Cyprus to go through the Turkish mainland.
The prospects of a renewed military confrontation in the immediate future are remote, as the invitation to join the EU brings a wider political settlement into clearer focus, with Greece already a member and Turkey on the doorstep. Both are NATO powers.
UN-sponsored negotiations led to a peace plan last November. Despite the two sides' failure to agree on it by the following month, the Copenhagen EU Summit awarded Cyprus the go-ahead to join the Union in 2004. Meanwhile, Turkey was invited to begin its EU accession negotiations. From the start, Poland has taken a supportive stand.
The UN proposal calls for Cyprus to become a dual-zone federation, with a joint Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot government in the capital, Nicosia. Rauf Denktash, the veteran North Cyprus Turkish leader, has insisted on rejecting the proposed formula, suggesting instead a confederation of two states.
It looks as though the old boy may be losing his touch. More than 30,000 Turkish Cypriots called for the reunification of Cyprus in a recent rally in the island's divided capital. And opposition figures (the tiny parliament meets in a converted cigarette factory) have accused Denktash of blocking progress on the UN plan to reunify Cyprus by the end of February.
As Greece has assumed the revolving presidency of the EU, it will now be responsible for drafting the accession treaty for the joining countries. Meanwhile Turkey, which has just begun its accession negotiations, has called for an immediate solution of the divided Cyprus problem, preferably this year. But if the two sides fail to reach an agreement on reunification by the end of February, it is likely only the Greek part will enter the EU.
In a promising move, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis said that Turkey's EU ambitions have brought about an improvement of the once tense Turkish-Greek relations and have led to a thaw in the feud over the divided island.
The legitimate Republic of Cyprus is determined to join the EU on schedule, with or without a solution to the island's problem. Meanwhile, the Greek government said it would veto any further EU enlargement if Cyprus's accession were blocked.
Despite mutual agreements and warm gestures during the accession negotiations, economic relations between Poland and Cyprus are mainly tourism-based, while trade exchange, at least of the official variety, remains very limited, diplomats said. Cypriots have sailed these blue waves for many centuries, flying the flags of "entrepreneurs," but invariably with scant regard for formalities.
Some diplomats have admitted that it is not likely that Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus will come to a mutual understanding before the designated February deadline. The talks could also be affected by possible military action in the Middle East, with Cyprus serving as a British airbase.
Despite the obvious political crisis that lies at the heart of Cyprus, the economies of both
sides are doing well, thanks to the overall tourism industry, which attracts more than three million holidaymakers each year. The north is virtually unspoiled, lacking the high-rise hotels and glitz of the south. It tends to attract a more specialist clientele.
But the cost of holidays in Cyprus is becoming increasingly expensive for Polish tourists, industry experts say. Apparently, it is the island's British heritage that is the culprit.
"Cyprus is a popular destination with British
tourists, particularly for long-term winter stays," said a representative at Łód-based Holiday Tours. "Hotel prices as well as commodity prices are pegged to what their standards of living can afford."
A week's stay in a two-star hotel on the island, which incidentally boasts 360 sunny days a year, can easily pay for a week's holiday in a four-star hotel in Turkey, according to travel agents. The increasing awareness of holiday costs among Poles on more restricted budgets has compelled smaller agencies, such as Holiday Tours, to remove Cyprus from its destination list.
"Polish tourists still come to Cyprus during the winter, but they are much less likely to visit it in the summer," said the Holiday Tours representative.
On the Polish-Cypriot political front, Tomasz Lis, ambassador to Cyprus, says that the co-operation between the two EU negotiating teams is excellent. According to Lis, there are no conflicting matters that would jeopardise these hearty bilateral relations.
"I am full of hope that a united Cyprus will join the EU," he said, pointing out that any talks about possible unification as well as any political decisions could easily be affected or even delayed by an American intervention in the Middle East.
Lis also noted that the upcoming presidential elections are another key factor in the uni-
fication talks, as a Cypriot president's tasks transcend mere diplomatic functions.
"The authorities are likely to remain pro-EU regardless of the election outcome," he said.
Lis described bilateral economic relations as well-developed, but added that one needs to remember that the possible business opportunities in Cyprus, with only 800,000 inhabitants, are relatively small.
Industrial exports to Cyprus consist mainly of tyres and tractors, he said, while Cypriots focus on importing consumer goods from here and reselling them in the Mediterranean region as well as in the Middle East.
"Traditionally, their contacts in the region are well-established, and they take advantage of it," Lis said.
With more than 2,000 offshore companies in Cyprus, Lis said that it's difficult for the embassy to monitor any Polish enterprises on the isle. Any inquiries into an enterprise's status are usually dismissed with dry data regarding the start-up date and initial capital, typically €50. With EU accession the offshore status should theoretically change, but, according to Lis, the island's banks will think of ways of getting around the new regulations.
"I just saw a Bank of Cyprus advertisement, now promoting services in the Channel Islands," he said.
In Polish contacts with Cyprus, the most important event in recent years was Foreign Minister Władysław Bartoszewski's visit to Nicosia, during which he met his Cypriot counterpart, Ioannis Kasoulides, to discuss bilateral relations and co-operation in EU integration. The two also signed a co-operation protocol.
The value of bilateral trade between the countries nears €50 million, with exports from here running slightly more than €45 million and imports from Cyprus at around €1 million, most of which are grapefruits, lemons and oranges as well as clothing.
While due to geographical distance and lack of common history Poland and Cyprus have not been able to develop what one may call 'close relations,' it is comforting that such distant nations have recognised the need for a common negotiating policy and acknowledged each other as potential trade partners.
With time, Cyprus is bound to reestablish itself as one of the most popular holiday destinations among Poles. Meanwhile, as the Cypriot authorities press for EU accession in 2004, it looks as though the island will join Euroland in its present state, its frosty division not only a contradiction to the climate but the first such divide existing within the Union.
The Turkish intervention followed huge intercommunal riots and effectively partitioned the island, with the northern third inhabited by Turkish-Cypriots and the remainder under Greek Cypriots. It was the end of the unitary state bequeathed by the British. A UN buffer zone, also known as the "Green Line" - dividing the two parts from Morphou through Nicosia to Famagusta - is patrolled by UN troops. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised solely by Turkey.
Currently, few international flights aside from Turkish aircraft land in Northern Cyprus, where nearly 35,000 Turkish troops are stationed, while an international embargo compels most trade with Northern Cyprus to go through the Turkish mainland.
The prospects of a renewed military confrontation in the immediate future are remote, as the invitation to join the EU brings a wider political settlement into clearer focus, with Greece already a member and Turkey on the doorstep. Both are NATO powers.
UN-sponsored negotiations led to a peace plan last November. Despite the two sides' failure to agree on it by the following month, the Copenhagen EU Summit awarded Cyprus the go-ahead to join the Union in 2004. Meanwhile, Turkey was invited to begin its EU accession negotiations. From the start, Poland has taken a supportive stand.
The UN proposal calls for Cyprus to become a dual-zone federation, with a joint Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot government in the capital, Nicosia. Rauf Denktash, the veteran North Cyprus Turkish leader, has insisted on rejecting the proposed formula, suggesting instead a confederation of two states.
It looks as though the old boy may be losing his touch. More than 30,000 Turkish Cypriots called for the reunification of Cyprus in a recent rally in the island's divided capital. And opposition figures (the tiny parliament meets in a converted cigarette factory) have accused Denktash of blocking progress on the UN plan to reunify Cyprus by the end of February.
As Greece has assumed the revolving presidency of the EU, it will now be responsible for drafting the accession treaty for the joining countries. Meanwhile Turkey, which has just begun its accession negotiations, has called for an immediate solution of the divided Cyprus problem, preferably this year. But if the two sides fail to reach an agreement on reunification by the end of February, it is likely only the Greek part will enter the EU.
In a promising move, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis said that Turkey's EU ambitions have brought about an improvement of the once tense Turkish-Greek relations and have led to a thaw in the feud over the divided island.
The legitimate Republic of Cyprus is determined to join the EU on schedule, with or without a solution to the island's problem. Meanwhile, the Greek government said it would veto any further EU enlargement if Cyprus's accession were blocked.
Despite mutual agreements and warm gestures during the accession negotiations, economic relations between Poland and Cyprus are mainly tourism-based, while trade exchange, at least of the official variety, remains very limited, diplomats said. Cypriots have sailed these blue waves for many centuries, flying the flags of "entrepreneurs," but invariably with scant regard for formalities.
Some diplomats have admitted that it is not likely that Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus will come to a mutual understanding before the designated February deadline. The talks could also be affected by possible military action in the Middle East, with Cyprus serving as a British airbase.
Despite the obvious political crisis that lies at the heart of Cyprus, the economies of both
sides are doing well, thanks to the overall tourism industry, which attracts more than three million holidaymakers each year. The north is virtually unspoiled, lacking the high-rise hotels and glitz of the south. It tends to attract a more specialist clientele.
But the cost of holidays in Cyprus is becoming increasingly expensive for Polish tourists, industry experts say. Apparently, it is the island's British heritage that is the culprit.
"Cyprus is a popular destination with British
tourists, particularly for long-term winter stays," said a representative at Łód-based Holiday Tours. "Hotel prices as well as commodity prices are pegged to what their standards of living can afford."
A week's stay in a two-star hotel on the island, which incidentally boasts 360 sunny days a year, can easily pay for a week's holiday in a four-star hotel in Turkey, according to travel agents. The increasing awareness of holiday costs among Poles on more restricted budgets has compelled smaller agencies, such as Holiday Tours, to remove Cyprus from its destination list.
"Polish tourists still come to Cyprus during the winter, but they are much less likely to visit it in the summer," said the Holiday Tours representative.
On the Polish-Cypriot political front, Tomasz Lis, ambassador to Cyprus, says that the co-operation between the two EU negotiating teams is excellent. According to Lis, there are no conflicting matters that would jeopardise these hearty bilateral relations.
"I am full of hope that a united Cyprus will join the EU," he said, pointing out that any talks about possible unification as well as any political decisions could easily be affected or even delayed by an American intervention in the Middle East.
Lis also noted that the upcoming presidential elections are another key factor in the uni-
fication talks, as a Cypriot president's tasks transcend mere diplomatic functions.
"The authorities are likely to remain pro-EU regardless of the election outcome," he said.
Lis described bilateral economic relations as well-developed, but added that one needs to remember that the possible business opportunities in Cyprus, with only 800,000 inhabitants, are relatively small.
Industrial exports to Cyprus consist mainly of tyres and tractors, he said, while Cypriots focus on importing consumer goods from here and reselling them in the Mediterranean region as well as in the Middle East.
"Traditionally, their contacts in the region are well-established, and they take advantage of it," Lis said.
With more than 2,000 offshore companies in Cyprus, Lis said that it's difficult for the embassy to monitor any Polish enterprises on the isle. Any inquiries into an enterprise's status are usually dismissed with dry data regarding the start-up date and initial capital, typically €50. With EU accession the offshore status should theoretically change, but, according to Lis, the island's banks will think of ways of getting around the new regulations.
"I just saw a Bank of Cyprus advertisement, now promoting services in the Channel Islands," he said.
In Polish contacts with Cyprus, the most important event in recent years was Foreign Minister Władysław Bartoszewski's visit to Nicosia, during which he met his Cypriot counterpart, Ioannis Kasoulides, to discuss bilateral relations and co-operation in EU integration. The two also signed a co-operation protocol.
The value of bilateral trade between the countries nears €50 million, with exports from here running slightly more than €45 million and imports from Cyprus at around €1 million, most of which are grapefruits, lemons and oranges as well as clothing.
While due to geographical distance and lack of common history Poland and Cyprus have not been able to develop what one may call 'close relations,' it is comforting that such distant nations have recognised the need for a common negotiating policy and acknowledged each other as potential trade partners.
With time, Cyprus is bound to reestablish itself as one of the most popular holiday destinations among Poles. Meanwhile, as the Cypriot authorities press for EU accession in 2004, it looks as though the island will join Euroland in its present state, its frosty division not only a contradiction to the climate but the first such divide existing within the Union.
