[02] US continues to work for Cyprus
Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Gregoris Niotis said he has asked that
the US should exert further pressure in order to overcome the existing
intransigence of the Turkish side as regards the Cyprus problem.
Speaking after meetings in Washington yesterday with US Presidential Envoy
for Cyprus Ambassador Moses and with the Acting National Security Advisor
Mr Steinberg, Mr Niotis said that the continuing intransigence that exists
on the part of the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Denktash as well as the lack
of any positive political will on the part of Ankara pose obstacles to the
US initiative on the Cyprus problem.
He added that it had been agreed that Mr Moses should concentrate his
efforts on ensuring that the UN Secretary General extends his invitations
to the two sides by the beginning of November.
The US State Department Spokesman James Rubin said yesterday that the US
continues to work on the important question of Cyprus and on the importance
of exploiting the window of opportunity that now exists for the island to
finally achieve a peace settlement.
He made this statement after a meeting in Washington on 4 October between
Turkish Cypriot delegations and State Department Special Co-ordinator for
Cyprus, Mr Weston.
"We've been working with the Greek and Turkish governments extensively in
recent weeks and will continue to talk to relevant officials to try to
advance that process", Mr Rubin said.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
