RECONSTRUCTION AND REGENERATION OF FAMAGUSTA-VAROSHA

That this House recalls the continuous interest of hon. Members on all sides of the House in successive Parliaments in the neglect and dereliction of Varosha, the sealed-off section of Famagusta; is confident that this interest will be continued in the present Parliament; notes the recent interest of the European Parliament in this situation as expressed in its resolution following the visit to the area of the Petitions Committee in which, inter alia, it expresses the view that with the return of Varosha to its original and lawful inhabitants it could become a laboratory development and a symbol of the future of Cyprus; concurs with this judgment; believes also that the project of reconstructing and regenerating Varosha could deliver an unparalleled stimulus to the economy in the north and in the south of Cyprus; further believes that this action would provide a major confidence-building measure for which there is an overwhelming need and which would underpin the future of a reunited Cyprus; and calls on the Government fully and urgently to support and promote such an initiative.