today in the next installment in our ambassadors series we're joined
by Trevor Peacock Australia's High Commissioner to Cyprus
Trevor thanks for joining us
it's a pleasure
trevor how would you characterize the relationship between Australia and Cyprus
well its a very very warm relationship
and the bedrock of it is the community relations that we have
australia has the second-biggest expatriate community of Cypriots in
the world
both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots
that gives us a real basis of friendship a real basis of knowing each
other as countries
it's almost a relationship of being a family
uh... rather than just friends
and you really notice that very very much when you're in Cyprus when you're
representing Australia here in cyprus
the number of people that you meet
who have family in Australia is is really quite amazing
and so you in turn as an Australian diplomatic representative
really feel as part of a family in cyprus
uh... that natural warmth is matched by a commonality of views on
international global issues and perspectives
we're both members of the Commonwealth
we both share a very solid commitment to human rights to the rule of law
including to the rule of international law
so we find ourselves as very
friendly countries which gets on well understand each other well and relates
to each other well
with that community relationship as the bedrock of it
So Trevor turning to the big issue what is Australia's position on the ongoing
division of the island
well our position is very clear and we've been very consistent always
we recognize the
governments of the Republic of Cyprus as the sole legitimate government
on the island
we recognize its its sovereignty and its territorial integrity
over the whole of the island
at the same time we are very supportive of the negotiations which are taking
place at the moment
facilitators and chaired by the UN's UN secretary general's special adviser
Alexander Downer
to bring about a a reconciliation and a reunification of the island
we believe that reunification in accordance with the relevant UN
resolutions
ought to be based on a
bi-zonal, bi-communal federation
uh... with one international citizenship one international personality
Trevor you've mentioned the role of Mr Downer Australia's former Foreign Minister
what is Australia doing to help Cyprus witht he current situation
and to encourage a solution
well there are two very tangible things that we're doing
one is that we've maintained for forty-eight years now without any break
uh... an Australian Federal Police contingent within UNFICYP
which is the UN force in Cyprus peacekeeping force in Cyprus
the um...
UNFICYP includes both a military
and and the police element
uh... we are the largest group within the police element and the in fact the
commander
of the UN police UNPOL
uh... is an Australia AFP officer
uh...
they do very very good work
it makes you very proud as an Australian High Commissioner
to see the role that the police are playing in and around the buffer zone
uh... insuring its stability and that's that that that uh... there's nothing
there that
nothing will go on there that the threatens the
stability and the security of the island and
of the two communities around the buffer zone
uh... they've played a very good role for forty eight years now
and uh... really are excellent police men and women that we send there
uh... i'm very proud of them and we all should be proud of them
uh... secondly as a much more recent contribution
as a High Commission we sponsor the Cypress Academic Dialogue which
came into being in 2009 and was actually an initiative
of the Centre for Dialogue at Latrobe University
what it does is it brings together academics from both the Greek Cypriot
and the Turkish Cypriot
academic communities
to sit down together
define what points i have in common
define what
solutions they might be able to come up with
to the problems that the island faces
they develop views on the negotiations themselves and other views on separate
issues
alongside
the negotiations for example how do you deal with the issue of education
in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot schools
the dialogue has been a big success it's it's had some
one or two major gatherings every year since 2009
uh... meetings in Cyprus but they also have a meeting this year in Istanbul to
make it easier for Turkish and Greek academics to be brought into the process
alongside the Cypriots
they're getting a very good profile within Cyprus
they're taken very seriously by the media and by decision makers
uh... they're meeting regularly with decision makers in both communities
and we are getting a lot of very good recognition
uh... for supporting this process uh... so again it's a are very good thing that
we're doing in something
tangible uh... which hopefully
uh... will help to took to heal the the problems of the island
I understand Cyprus has the rotating Presidency the European Union at the
moment, how is it handling that role
I think it's been an unambiguous good news story for Cyprus they've really done
this well
it was hard for them as one of the European Union's smallest member states
taking on the presidency for the first time as they did in July
i think the successful management of the presidency creates
logistical challenges for for any member state it's a very big role a
very big responsibility even given the
change in the way he EU rks under the Lisbon Treaty
uh... but i have heard nothing but praise
for the way in which the government of Cyprus has organized a
various ministerial meetings that it's hosted
uh... but beyond that
it's played a very useful policy role i think especially on what's one of the
biggest problems and challenges facing the the european union at the moment
which is settling on a
multi annual financial framework
uh... a budget
uh... for the next seven years and a budget in which all twenty-seven or
with which
all twenty seven member states have to be in agreement so it's it's a huge
exercise
and Cyprus has played a very good role in in in clarifying thinking and
setting out possible directions for this to be handled
especially I think in
including an element of consultation with the European parliament
that's a new element under the Lisbon Treaty and again i've heard
nothing but praise for the way in which
in which cypress as
the presidency of the of the European Union
has been able to assist them along in meeting this challenge
Trevor i assume you do see a number of Australian tourists in Cyprus
any tips?
sure um we don't actually see as many as you might think
uh... the best numbers we have are that about sixty thousand australians visit
uh... each year
and most of those are members of the the community going back for the summer
i would encourage more Australians to visit Cyprus
it's hummm
it has wonderful beaches spectacular mountains
it has a real wealth of archaeological and historical sites and
places of interest
for anybody who has an interest in the past
and an interest in seeing how
different cultures over
over millennia
um...
have affected a small country like Cyprus
mixed together there and in it's turn although a small
island
has made it's own impact on those cultures
uh... a visit to Cyprus is very very rewarding
uh...
and the food is good as well
and the people at extremely friendly
and and and do love Australians
of course i would uh... and and and suggesting
that Australians think about visiting to Cyprus I would further suggest
before they go they should have a look at the Smartraveller
website and
have a look at the advice that we're offering as they plan their trip and as they
travel
Trevor thanks very much for joining us it's a pleasure
That was Trevor Peacock Australia's High Commissioner to Cyprus