Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-03-31

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] CYPRIOT FM UNSG MEETING

[02] UNSG - CYPRUS TALKS

[03] BRITISH MINISTER CYPRUS

[01] CYPRIOT FM UNSG MEETING

In statements after the meeting, Kyprianou said that he had the chance to present the positions and concerns of the Cypriot government, its expectations of the procedure that is underway for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Kyprianou also said he told the SG that the key to a solution of the Cyprus issue lies with Ankara.

In his statements, Kyprianou said his meeting with the SG was very constructive and friendly which gave him the opportunity to inform the Secretary-General of the positions, the views, the concerns and the hopes of our side in this new effort to solve the Cyprus problem.

Concerning the joint statement read by UN Secretary-General Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alexander Downer at the end of the talks on Tuesday between President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, the Foreign Minister said it is very important that this is treated as what it is, being a joint statement, not an interim agreement and not anything more than what it actually is because this is the philosophy of the negotiations, that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

To a question what does yesterdays joint statement mean for him, Kyprianou said it is a factual statement. A fact. It presents where we stand today, what has been done until now. It does not have a legal significant but it is a listing of facts and of course it stays on the basic principles in the general description and each side as the statement says can proceed with more detailed analysis to the respective communities of what has been discussed or agreed.

He also said that although there has been convergence of views in the three chapters that are referred in the statement, at the same time there is still disagreement in the chapters themselves but also in the other subjects. So I would say that its encouraging message that theres been progress and that we have moved forward but at the same time sends the message that there is still a long way to go and a lot of work to be done until we can reach a comprehensive settlement. So we still have a long way to go.

The Foreign Minister said he and Ban discussed the difficulties that we will be facing in the next phase of the negotiations entering some very difficult subjects and I referred particularly to the very important role of Turkey in this process.

He further said he had the opportunity to refer specifically to the issue of Famagusta and the fenced area of Varosha. Beginning of the High-level Agreement of Kyprianou and Denktash of 79 and Security-Council Resolutions that followed after that, even reports of the Secretary-General until very recently, state that this can and should be treated as a separate issue in relation to the rest of the Cyprus problem, Minister Kyprianou said.

And we also had a resolution of the European Parliament in this respect. The issue of Varosha is an issue that falls directly under the responsibility of the Turkish Government and not the Turkish Cypriots and in that sense we asked the Secretary-General to help with the effort of convincing the Turkish Government to allow UN experts to enter the fenced area, to begin the study on the structural engineering and architectural situation with a view of one day to be able to open the city, reconstructing it and allowing its inhabitants to return.

However, he said that in the first phase, given that Varosha has been a ghost town for the last 36 years, the first step would be to allow the UN experts to enter the area. I think it is a humanitarian issue, it is not a political issue, it is not something that can be dealt with at the table of the negotiations between the two sides on the island. That is the responsibility of the Turkish Government so we asked the Secretary-General to encourage the Turkish Government to be positive in this respect, Kyprianou noted.

The Cypriot FM said it is very important someone who is an interlocutor, someone who is very constructive and supports this target of the bizonal, bicommunal federation but at the same time it is important to have an active constructive role on the part of the Turkish Government. Especially on the subjects that will follow in the next phase being the issues of security, of territorial adjustments and so forth.

Regarding the Turkish governments role, Kyprianou said so far is acting more as an observer. But we believe that even though the Turkish government is not sitting at the negotiating table, is a party to this conflict and therefore we would like to see the Turkish government sending more positive messages and taking more positive and firm positions on the various issues. Not just to send a positive signal to the Greek Cypriot community but also to reinforce what is being done by the Turkish Cypriot leadership. We had the statements by the Prime Minister recently. These are encouraging signals but of course, at the end of the day what counts is what is said at the negotiations and not in interviews. So we expect to see these signals being transformed to negotiating positions when the negotiations resume.

To a question what he thinks will happen if Talat is not elected in the so called elections in the Turkish occupied north for the new leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, Kyprianou remarked that there is no question that this would complicate matters and things would be difficult noting that both candidates have a different approach. So we expect to have complications and then the role of Turkey will become even more important in that case. So even though the Turkish Cypriots will decide for themselves at the same time we can see complications if theres a change of the interlocutor in case that they do not follow what has been done so far and try to change the basis of the solution, he added.

Referring to the position expressed by the other candidate in the so called elections in the occupied areas of Cyprus, Dervis Eroglu, that he is committed to the negotiating process, Kyprianou replied it is positive that he stated that he will not abandon the negotiation and he will continue the negotiations. At the same time, he noted, what is worrying is that we havent seen any commitment made regarding the basis of these negotiations which was decided already in March of 2008. So this raises some concerns, he noted.

Kyprianou said that there is commitment by both sides and the Turkish Government that the negotiations continue. He also said he did not think the Secretary-General is preparing anything given that the nature of this procedure, which is between the two communities is facilitated by the United Nations. So the United Nations will continue supporting this process and wed like to think that the results of this electoral process in April will not change this procedure and we will be able to resume from where the two leaders have left of today (Tuesday). But if things change we will have then to revisit the whole issue, he remarked.

Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

The leaders of the two communities have been engaged in UN-led direct negotiations since September 2008, aiming to reunite the island.

[02] UNSG - CYPRUS TALKS

The UNSGs position was conveyed by a UN spokesperson, referring to the meeting Ban had earlier in the day with Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou.

He said, The Secretary-General thanked the Foreign Minister for his personal participation in the International Donors Conference ``towards a new future for Haiti`` that will be held on Wednesday.

On the Cyprus problem, the Spokesperson said Ban noted positively the joint statement issued by the two leaders on 30 March 2010, which underscores that important progress in the chapters of governance and power-sharing, European Union and economic matters had been achieved.

He was also encouraged by the start of the construction work on Yesilirimak/Limnitis road on Monday.

[03] BRITISH MINISTER CYPRUS

In statements on Tuesday, Bryant said he fully agrees that it is a shame that Cyprus is still a divided island and Nicosia is a divided city.

He said British government fully supports the ongoing talks, noting there have to be concessions by both sides. People have to give way on different elements. This takes political courage from political leaders, Bryan remarked.

At the moment, he added, we have two leaders who are able to do business with each other. They stake their reputation in bringing about a concession, Bryant remarked.

Regarding Turkey, he said it should be fulfilling its commitments that it made to the European Union with regard to the Ankara Protocol and the recognition of the Cyprus Government.

Bryant added that if there is an element that we, as a guarantor power, is an issue we will not stand in the way for a solution.

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