Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP and Cllr Meral Ece to visit Northern Cyprus

2.55.54pm GMT Tue 1st Feb 2005

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for London, is visiting Northern Cyprus this week to meet with representatives from politics, business and local government.

She will be accompanied by Councillor Meral Ece, a leading Liberal Democrat local councillor of Turkish-Cypriot background in the London Borough of Islington.

Baroness Ludford said: "It is extremely important that EU representatives including MEPs maintain dialogue with leaders and decision-makers in both parts of Cyprus in the aftermath of the referendum on the Annan plan, in order to work effectively towards re-unification of the island."

"Having been several times to Cyprus in the past, I am concentrating particularly in this visit on meeting opinion-formers in the North, specifically so I can learn about the issues in the forthcoming elections."

Cllr Ece added: "We must continue to do all that we can to bring Turkish Cypriots out of the economic and political isolation that they currently experience. I'm delighted about EU plans to facilitate trade and that the European Parliament endorsed the giving of €259 million in financial support to the Turkish Cypriot community."

Note: Baroness Ludford and Cllr Ece will arrive on Friday morning, February 4th, and leave on the morning of Monday February 7th.