Effect on Cyprus of new EU Members

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union will not bring a massive influx of workers towards Cyprus, the Ambassadors of the new EU members in Nicosia, Andrea Pastarnac and Peter Vodeski respectively have assured Cyprus. They also said that heir countries’ relations with he Turkish Cypriots will remain within the existing legal framework, which does not allow any kind of recognition of the illegal regime in Turkish occupied Cyprus.

Regarding the free movement of workers from Romania and Bulgaria, the Ambassador of Romania said that “Romanian workers are not a danger to the EU member states or Cyprus” adding that one of the strongest arguments supporting this statement is Romania’s economic growth. The Bulgarian Ambassador said that according to a research made by the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor “no massive inflow of workers is expected from Bulgaria to the EU”.

Asked whether their countries consider to establish links with Turkish Cypriots, they both said hat they will continue their links with the Turkish Cypriot community, as long as their actions do not imply any recognition of the so-called “state” in occupied Cyprus.
“We, as members of the EU, abide by the rules of the EU. Ties with the Turkish Cypriots should exist to help solve the Cyprus problem”, the Bulgarian Ambassador said.