Nicosia, Jul 14: The Cyprus Parliament today voted unanimously to approve the accession of the Mediterranean Island to the European Union. Other countries approved accession in national referenda, but there is no provision in the Cyprus Constitution for a referendum.
War-divided Cyprus, along with Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, is to join the now 15-member EU in May, 2004. The EU accepted the whole of Cyprus as a member in April, but with the provision that EU laws and benefits from membership which apply to the Greek Cypriot south will not be extended to the Turkish-controlled north until after reunification.
The East Mediterranean Island has been split into a Greek Cypriot controlled south and a Turkish-occupied north since turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece. The breakaway Turkish Cypriot state is only recognized by Turkey, which maintains 40,000 troops there. Founded by six nations in 1957 as the European Economic Community, the European body was meant to unite the economies of Germany, France and others to prevent another major war in Europe. Bureau Report