Greece warned on Friday that EU presidencies should act objectively and not use their position to further national goals, while the British embassy in Greece denied the accusation.

Talking on the EU proposed counter-statement on Ankara's not recognition of Cyprus despite the custom protocol with the 10 new EU member states including Cyprus, Greek Foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos stressed that no EU presidency should exploit its position "for the projection of purely national political choices."

An ongoing discussion is currently underway at the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels aimed at formulating a counter-statement before Turkey's EU accession talks starts as scheduled on Oct. 3.

"I fear that the developments of the past 24 hours in the discussion in Brussels on this matter render it necessary to repeat this," he told reporters in a regular press briefing.

"It is self-evident that no (EU) presidency should take advantage of its abilities for the projection of purely national political choices," he added.

Meanwhile, British Ambassador to Athens Simon Gass denied the accusation, saying that the British presidency of the European Union carries out its duties objectively and will continue to do this in its efforts to reconcile all the views of the EU member-states.

Cyprus has remained divided into the south Greek Cyprus and the north Turkish Cyprus since 1974, when Turkey sent troops to take control of one third of the island following a failed Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2005)