Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 98-04-06

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

News Update

Monday, 06/04/98

CONTENTS

• [01] Holbrooke describes visit to Cyprus "successful and inconclusive"
• [02] Government Spokesman reacts to Cordovez' comments
• [03] Van den Broek reiterates call to Turkish Cypriots to participate in accession talks
• [04] Annan and Cook discuss Cyprus issue

[01] Holbrooke describes visit to Cyprus "successful and inconclusive"

Speaking at a press conference at Nicosia's Ledra Palace Hotel on Saturday 4.4.98 the US envoy said that both Clerides and Denktash had asked him to return and that he will be back around May 1. In the meantime, US State Department Co-ordinator Thomas Miller will be continuing efforts in the region.

Mr Holbrooke said that all outstanding issues had been raised with the two leaders and acknowledged that "the diplomatic situation has been at a difficult stage and the solution to it involves not just the leaders but the people outside - Brussels, Athens, Ankara and Bonn".

He said he had consulted the White House, the US State Department and the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, who was "looking at Cyprus with great attention".

Mr Holbrooke said that Denktash did not "yield an inch" from his demand for international recognition of his self-styled regime in occupied Cyprus. He made it clear, however, that the US has no intention of recognising the breakaway regime and that it opposes any partition of the island. "We recognise the Republic of Cyprus and Glafcos Clerides as its president", he said.

On the Cyprus-EU negotiations, Holbrooke said the US believes Cyprus should be a member of the EU because it is part of Europe. "The US also believes... the Turkish application to the EU should receive a favourable consideration", he added.

The US Presidential Emissary described as very important, the resumption of dialogue between Greek and Turkish Cypriot businessmen, suspended last December by Mr Denktash.

Mr Holbrooke also said that movement should be free across the (demarcation) line and noted that Cyprus is "the last place in Europe where people are divided by a line and it troubles us all".

According to CyBC reports, upon departure yesterday Mr Holbrooke warned that the American effort might stop if there is no progress towards a solution soon. There will be no point in continuing a shuttle diplomacy which will prove empty and sterile, he said.

[02] Government Spokesman reacts to Cordovez' comments

Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides described Mr Cordovez' statements as a bombshell to international efforts for a negotiated settlement in Cyprus.

Cordovez said in an interview that the mood during the first round of negotiations between the leaders of the Greek and the Turkish Cypriot communities last summer was extremely good, but then "this bomb exploded", referring to the EU decision to start accession talks with Cyprus while postponing Turkey's application.

"The statements made by Mr Cordovez are obviously outside the spirit of the UN Security Council resolutions which clearly consider the European course of the Cyprus Republic helpful to the process for a solution of the Cyprus problem," Stylianides said.

He added that Cordovez' statements "dynamite in an inexplicable manner efforts, by many personalities of the international political arena, which for some time now have focused, through parallel procedures, on leading the protracted Cyprus problem to a fair, viable and workable solution."

[03] Van den Broek reiterates call to Turkish Cypriots to participate in accession talks

During a press conference on the occasion of the start of EU accession talks with Cyprus and ten other candidate countries in Brussels, Mr Van den Broek said he hoped that Turkish Cypriots would reconsider their objections to Cyprus' bid to join the EU and pointed out that the Union has tried to get them to participate.

The Turkish Cypriot side has rejected a proposal by President Glafcos Clerides to nominate representatives to participate in the official team to negotiate Cyprus' accession.

The EU Commissioner made it clear it was up to Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to show movement, if they wanted to improve the situation.

"Which is not to say that we shouldn't continue our efforts to strengthen our relationship with Turkey," he said, noting the EU has made several proposals to this effect.

[04] Annan and Cook discuss Cyprus issue

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Cook said they had a joint discussion on how they can take forward the position in Cyprus and "seek to heal that division".

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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