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Speaking to the press, prior to his meeting with Turkish Premier Bulent Ecevit in Washington, Mr Clinton said 'what we have been working for is the resumption of the UN-sponsored talks without preconditions. We hope that somehow we can find a way to get there', he said.

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This was announced yesterday, in a briefing held after yesterday's meeting in Washington of US President Bill Clinton with Turkish Premier Bulent Ecevit.

The American Officials who held the press briefing said that the Turkish 'Prime Minister supported the President's idea to send his Special Envoy for Cyprus, Al Moses, to the region as early as next week' to move the negotiations process forward.

Moreover he added that the US position is to 'move forward to talks under UN auspices without preconditions.' The American official also referred to the G-8 statement calling on the parties to start direct negotiations. 'This is a good moment to move forward', he said, adding that the person to move this process forward is the President's Special Envoy.

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Mr Papapetrou added that 'the Greek Cypriot side is not prepared to get involved in a dialogue for finding a formula which will partly or wholly meet the demands or conditions set by Mr Denktash for participating in talks.'

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In a statement made yesterday at the conclusion of the President of the Republic's visit to New York, Mr Papapetrou noted that Cyprus' positions found support among all the members of the Security Council. He pointed out that the President of the Republic gave the message that 'the Greek Cypriot side is ready for an honourable compromise and ready to be involved in a give-and-take negotiating process.'

'An essential precondition, however, is that a settlement of the Cyprus problem must envisage a Cyprus whose political system will be a bizonal, bicommunal federation with a workable constitution and which will guarantee the survival and peaceful coexistence of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island', he added.

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Speaking after a working lunch he hosted for the representatives of the five permanent members in New York, President Clerides said they discussed 'in depth the reasons of Turkish intransigence 'in efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem' and ways of dealing with them'.. UN Under- Secretary General Sir Kieran Prendergast was also present at the lunch.

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In his speech Mr Kasoulides stressed that the Cyprus government's priority is to find a solution that will restore the human rights of all Cypriots. A solution that will provide for a security system that will safeguard the peaceful co-existence of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

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

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