Greek Cypriot army to spend 118 million dollars

But Yiannakis Omirou, chairman of the parliamentary defence committee, said MPs had been briefed on the issue and suggested the government had taken a political decision to acquire new weapons.


“The parliamentary committee was informed, but the government can go ahead without approval of the house for this weapons budget,” Omirou, leader of socialist Edek in the government coalition, told state radio.


Former president George Vassiliou said it would be a mistake if the government went ahead with the purchases.


“While ordinary Turkish Cypriots are sending out a clear message that they want a solution, large military expenditure on our part sends the wrong signals,” said Vassiliou.


As a goodwill gesture, the Greek Cypriots put a halt to new weapons purchases during UN-brokered direct talks with the Turkish Cypriot side which began in January 2002 and ended in failure 15 months later.


The aim was to end the island’s 29-year division so a reunited Cyprus could join the European Union in May 2004.


Renewed diplomatic efforts to kickstart a new phase of talks between Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, the Greek Cypriot leader, have so far proved unsuccessful.


But Turkish Cypriot authorities have eased travel restrictions across the UN-manned Green Line since April, bringing the two communities closer after decades of separation and mistrust.


About 30,000 Turkish troops occupy the island’s northern third since invading in 1974 in response to a Greek Cyriot coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece.




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