1. My feeling although I am not in K.K 's head is that today he really wants to say -no- but he cannot due to the international pressure and diplomacy.

2. I believe that all these fears you present are much less important compared on what you lose by signing today. One think you lose (and can not take back in case the plan wont work) is the sovereignty on an independent country - with anan plan you have accepted foreign control/veto on many things such as the constitution etc.

3. We should be happy to see the north be prosperous and rich but not with money from the south only. We can not accept the cost of the Turkish invasion to be payed be the new Federation that is practically financed by Greek Cypriots money coming from hard work of 30 years after a destructive war.

FUTURE

3.I think by the end of the year 2004 the international political arena will be very different and with Cyprus in eu as a full member a new and ameliorated UN plan for both Greek and Turkish Cypriots will be possible based on free movement in the whole island and full human and political rights for everybody in their specific homeland (no quotas).

Governments should also inform the people on their plans earlier (if they expect a positive vote) and not wait the last minute. It will take time and patient to accept some facts in Cyprus even if the anan plan was perfect for all.

Extreme right elements in Greece are less than 5% and are isolated in all parties- truly they do not interfere nd nor pasok policies.everybody is trying to hold the difficult and more open center (slightly right or left) voters.

Last but not least I always was in favour of Turkey joining the e.u. because Greece has only to win but I believe that it shall be extremely difficult - in that I agree with Georges policy. France, Germany and other countries will block it the last minute and will prefer a special form of monetary agreement instead.

Fokion Zaimis

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My main argument is that the so-called diplomatic approach on the part of New Democracy lead instead to a support for the no vote. New Democracy wants to say yes however it worries that such an open position will hurt it with the extreme right elements during the Euro-elections. In my book N.D. is sacrificing the big questions of Cyprus for internal political gain (see high gallop count for Karamanlis' because people interpret the "neutral" position as a "no."

As for what is written about Northern Cyprus, indeed we get the bad end of the stick. But that is nothing compared to what will be going on against us after tomorrow's no vote. The embargo will be lifted, for one thing, and for another, we who have called on the international community for the past 30 years to help solve the Cyprus problem have no turned a deaf ear to that community's proposals and it will be their turn to turn a dear ear to our entreaties. As for the specifics of the Anan plan, i have written my previous article on that and I still come out in favor of it, as does Vasileiou, as did Christophias. the main problem was that Papadopoulos was against it from the get-go and Caramanlis' stance did nothing to improve our bargaining position in Lucerne.
I think that getting Cyprus into the EU was an unprecedented achievement that shows the results of steady diplomacy on the part of george Papandreou, an event that nobody expected and went against all predictions....

Nikos Papandreou.

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Dear Nick,

1. Although i do not agree with some of your points, you surely know that
in politics one reads through the lines Diplomacy is to serve the interests of a country. Sometimes stating your position in such a ''diplomatic'' way can keep your friends close and your enemies closer (enemies=persons/countries/bodies that at the specific time have different interests than your countrys).
2. Another issue is to discuss the pros-cons of the Anan Plan but this
needs time and analysis. Maybe in a future conference of INADE.
3. Just for your info i enclose a statement of an ex Ambassador on the Cyprus Occupation. If you read tha last issue of Economist not a word of (invasion, occupation etc) the word used is ''Turkish Army Overran the
North Part of the Island''!!! the problem of Greece is that it should be more extraverted in communicating its policies (and interests) stadily and profesionaly.

Fokion Zaimis

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