The leaders of the two communities, Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday assured the Cypriot people that they would do everything in their power to solve the Cyprus problem as soon as possible, but admitted that progress so far had been insufficient.
The leaders’ final meeting for 2008 had a festive air to it, with Talat arriving laden with gifts, in response to those sent by Christofias a few days ago.
The Cyprus Mail reports that in a joint statement read out by UN special representative in Cyprus Alexander Downer after the two-and-a-half hour discussion, they also recognised the need for careful examination of the long list of chapters.
They underlined, however, that they remained strongly committed to finding a solution. “As we are entering a new year, we the two leaders would like to reaffirm our strong commitment to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem,” they said. “Looking back on our efforts since March 2008, we recognise that we still need to consider a long list of chapters. We also assess that although some progress has been made, it has been insufficient. But we assure you we are resolved to do all in our power to reach a settlement as soon as possible.”
Speaking to reporters after the leaders left UN headquarters in the buffer zone, Alexander Downer said that yesterday’s discussion had continued to examine external affairs and powers, while in their next meeting on January 5, they will discuss the hierarchy of norms and other constitutional issues. He added that Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun would attend that meeting and he would also be present at the meetings to follow on January 12 and 16.
Downer denied Turkish media reports quoting him saying that these negotiations were the last chance for a solution and that if the Cyprus issue was not solved in 2009 the UN will stop their efforts and Cyprus will be permanently divided. He added that when he was in Turkey he did not have any discussions with the media at all. He did say that “we look forward to a productive year next year and I think there is a momentum here in these negotiations. The fact that the two leaders have made a joint statement here today is a very encouraging and a very positive development. And it is important that people look at their words and think about their words because these are two people very committed to a successful process”, the UN official remarked.
He added that “endless speculation about what may have been said by other people, including me, in private meetings, you get that all the time. I was the Foreign Minister of Australia for 12 years and words have been put in my mouth which I have never uttered. I just never get into any discussion on that.”
EU Commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in an interview that 2009 must be the year of a comprehensive settlement for Cyprus, urging all parties, and in particular Turkey, to step up efforts. He said all parties should work to create a "win-win situation" for the two communities. "We are not in the business of pressure. We are in the business of facilitation," he told Reuters. "It's important for everybody, but Turkey is one of the key stakeholders... they have supported the process, yes, but it is important that we all intensify our political support for a Cyprus settlement."
"We need... to reunify the island so that Cyprus could be like a normal EU member state, in peace, united," he said. "Next year will be a crucial window of opportunity for that, that's why we will certainly invest all resources, all mental and personal resources that are needed to bring that support," he said.
Rehn said that it was important that the talks continue to be driven by the leaders of the two communities on the island, but that the EU was ready to bring as much legal and technical support as required by the two parties or the United Nations.
The fact that Cyprus is a member of the EU has wide-ranging impact on the reunification talks, as they mean bringing the north of the island into the 27-nation bloc, with its massive legislation and specific deals with nations such as Turkey."It is a matter of paramount importance for the EU to see a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus," Rehn said.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Talks continuing, no need to be pessimistic
The two leaders in Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat had their 12th meeting on Tuesday in the framework of direct talks and.The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus Alexander Downer said the pair discussed external relations and the powers of a federal government and would continue doing so during their next meeting on December 22. The next issue on the agenda “is the relationship between the laws of the constituent states and the federal government”, he added.Asked how the negotiations were proceeding so far, Downer said: “it is good that they continue the discussions on these issues”. “[These are] very big issues for any community to work through”.The 29 December meeting will not take place due to the December holiday season.
On Monday Downer had a meeting with Talat, which he described as having been “a very good discussion about where the negotiations are and how they are proceeding”. He said he would address the same issues during a similar meeting with Christofias, he added.
Moreover, Ankara Anatolia news agency reported that Talat said afterwards that there was no reason to be pessimistic about the talks on Cyprus at the moment ."We are continuing to talk. There is progress and we do not talk about the same issues ", he said. "We agreed on some issues and we could not on some others". He added, however, that there is a need for the two Cypriot leaders to meet more frequently in the future.
Kibris also reported that Downer is flying to Athens and to Ankara for talks on the Cyprus problem with the Greek and Turkish governments .
On Monday Downer had a meeting with Talat, which he described as having been “a very good discussion about where the negotiations are and how they are proceeding”. He said he would address the same issues during a similar meeting with Christofias, he added.
Moreover, Ankara Anatolia news agency reported that Talat said afterwards that there was no reason to be pessimistic about the talks on Cyprus at the moment ."We are continuing to talk. There is progress and we do not talk about the same issues ", he said. "We agreed on some issues and we could not on some others". He added, however, that there is a need for the two Cypriot leaders to meet more frequently in the future.
Kibris also reported that Downer is flying to Athens and to Ankara for talks on the Cyprus problem with the Greek and Turkish governments .
Friday, 12 December 2008
Tassos Papadopoulos dies
Former President Tassos Papadopoulos passed away earlier today at the age of 74. He had been suffering from lung cancer and had been in intensive care since 22 November. He is to to have a state funeral on Monday. The Council of Ministers held an emergency session and decided that a three day period of mourning will be observed as from tomorrow, Tassos Papadopoulos served as President from 2003-2008.
The U.N. Secretary General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus, Alexander Downer, arrived back on the island yesterday stressing the importance of keeping up momentum in the Cyprus talks, the Cyprus Mail reports.“I have always said that there needs to be a momentum in the negotiations, so I hope that over the next couple of weeks between now and Christmas there will be good momentum bringing us to the Christmas break and into next year,” Downer said on arrival at Larnaca airport. He said there would be “difficult issues that will move more slowly” and easier issues that would move more quickly. “We should not underestimate how difficult it is to put together a constitution. This is a very, very challenging task, it’s a very big task and is an ambitious task and it is a worthy and important ambition,” he said. “The important thing is to keep the negotiations moving forward. But I think it is still moving forward okay.”Downer played down the continuing negative statements being by the two leaders outside of the negotiations. “What ultimately is going to be important is what happens in the negotiating room and that is not just between the leaders of course, but the representatives and the officials”, he said. “The test of this process is going to be the result and I think they can achieve a successful result”.
Downer had a working lunch with Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou during which they reviewed the course of the talks so far, and discussed alternative working methods. According to the Cyprus News Agency, Mr Iacovou and Mr Talat’s Adviser, Mr Ozdil Nami, will meet at 10 this morning, within the framework of recording the issues discussed by the two leaders in the talks and forming terminology, so that there is no misunderstanding, but an identical text. Three more issues in the chapter of Governance remain to be discussed by the leaders of the two communities, who will meet again on 16 Decemberwill attend the next meeting of the leaders on December 16.
Kibris reported yesterday that Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, who is visiting Brussels, said he had asked European officials to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to be engaged in the solution of the Cyprus problem. He argued that although President Christofias says he wants a solution, this does not go beyond words and there are some things which should be done in order for this to go further than words. In statements at a press conference yesterday, Mr Talat accused Greece of using the Republic of Cyprus as a serious obstacle against Turkey behind the scenes, because it does not want to damage its relations with Ankara. He stated that he asked for technical assistance from the EU officials for the harmonization of the Turkish Cypriots with the acquis and their economic advancement. Mr Talat said that during his meetings with Jose Manuel Barosso and Javier Solana, President of the Commission and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy respectively, told him that the two leaders in Cyprus have a “serious responsibility” to solve the problem. He also said he had asked for equal treatment on the Cyprus problem with the Greek Cypriots, equal in full sense.
Mr Talat said that he was in favour of solving the problem before the European Parliamentary elections, but claimed the Greek Cypriots have said they do not want this and put it into their agreement with Russia. He said he would like to see a timetable but did not see a similar wish on the part of the Greek Cypriots.
The U.N. Secretary General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus, Alexander Downer, arrived back on the island yesterday stressing the importance of keeping up momentum in the Cyprus talks, the Cyprus Mail reports.“I have always said that there needs to be a momentum in the negotiations, so I hope that over the next couple of weeks between now and Christmas there will be good momentum bringing us to the Christmas break and into next year,” Downer said on arrival at Larnaca airport. He said there would be “difficult issues that will move more slowly” and easier issues that would move more quickly. “We should not underestimate how difficult it is to put together a constitution. This is a very, very challenging task, it’s a very big task and is an ambitious task and it is a worthy and important ambition,” he said. “The important thing is to keep the negotiations moving forward. But I think it is still moving forward okay.”Downer played down the continuing negative statements being by the two leaders outside of the negotiations. “What ultimately is going to be important is what happens in the negotiating room and that is not just between the leaders of course, but the representatives and the officials”, he said. “The test of this process is going to be the result and I think they can achieve a successful result”.
Downer had a working lunch with Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou during which they reviewed the course of the talks so far, and discussed alternative working methods. According to the Cyprus News Agency, Mr Iacovou and Mr Talat’s Adviser, Mr Ozdil Nami, will meet at 10 this morning, within the framework of recording the issues discussed by the two leaders in the talks and forming terminology, so that there is no misunderstanding, but an identical text. Three more issues in the chapter of Governance remain to be discussed by the leaders of the two communities, who will meet again on 16 Decemberwill attend the next meeting of the leaders on December 16.
Kibris reported yesterday that Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, who is visiting Brussels, said he had asked European officials to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to be engaged in the solution of the Cyprus problem. He argued that although President Christofias says he wants a solution, this does not go beyond words and there are some things which should be done in order for this to go further than words. In statements at a press conference yesterday, Mr Talat accused Greece of using the Republic of Cyprus as a serious obstacle against Turkey behind the scenes, because it does not want to damage its relations with Ankara. He stated that he asked for technical assistance from the EU officials for the harmonization of the Turkish Cypriots with the acquis and their economic advancement. Mr Talat said that during his meetings with Jose Manuel Barosso and Javier Solana, President of the Commission and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy respectively, told him that the two leaders in Cyprus have a “serious responsibility” to solve the problem. He also said he had asked for equal treatment on the Cyprus problem with the Greek Cypriots, equal in full sense.
Mr Talat said that he was in favour of solving the problem before the European Parliamentary elections, but claimed the Greek Cypriots have said they do not want this and put it into their agreement with Russia. He said he would like to see a timetable but did not see a similar wish on the part of the Greek Cypriots.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Leaders pessimistic but round two considered
The the direct talks between the two communities are not going as well as expected, President Christofias said on Friday night, the Cyprus Mail reports. Addressing a bicommunal event, Christofias said Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s position for the existence of two nations in Cyprus does not only contradict historical reality, but also the treaties that founded the Cyprus Republic as a unified bicommunal state.Christofias also hinted that Talat was starting to remind him of former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who was openly in favour of a partition between the two communities.“The common philosophy of AKEL and the Turkish Republican Party, up until recently, was that in Cyprus there is one nation, which consists of two communities: the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots,” said Christofias. “Now, I am saddened to see that this position, regarding the supposed existence of two nations in Cyprus, was supported by Mr Denktash in his policy for the creation of to separate states in Cyprus,” he added. Continuously highlighting the existence of two nations, said Christofias, was doing little to assist efforts for a resolution to the Cyprus problem.“Unfortunately, such positions sometimes appear on the table of negotiations,” he explained. He referred to the pessimism that can be deduced through polls between the people of the two communities, assuring, however, that “efforts will not be abandoned”.
On his part, in a recent interview with the Turkish Cypriot news agency, Talat was equally pessimistic. He added that it was nearly impossible to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem before the end of 2009. “Maybe even 2009 will pass without a solution. The negotiating process is moving at very slow rhythms". “From the moment that the Greek Cypriot side did not accept the Annan Plan as a basis for discussion, we have almost started from zero,” he said. “The international forces must certainly take action and look at the issues, which the two sides can’t find solutions to,” he added. He said Christofias entered the negotiations as a different person, “He is not as I expected him to be,” he said, adding that this was a huge disappointment to him, especially when Christofias attacked Turkey.Referring to his position that there are two nations in Cyprus, Talat concluded, “Of course there are two nations, with different languages, religions, joys and woes. When one is happy, the other is sad. Only if there is an earthquake or airplane tragedy will they have the same reaction.”He didn’t, however, exclude the possibility that the future could see the creation of one nation with two different languages.
Politis says that the property issue which is due to come up for discussion in January, is turning out to be a serious problem for the negotiating teams as they don't have any real experience in property matters and need the input of foreign experts to come up with solutions. The only thing they have to help them are the provisions that existed in the Annan plan but these can only be used as an aide in view of the fact that they are virtually starting from scratch. The two leaders, the paper adds, both realise that the talks are proceeding very slowly and are thinking of ways to speed up the process, such as six hourly weekly meetings of the leaders and even more active involvement of their advisers in the process. Few people believe that they will reach the deadline of the Euro-elections in June but are looking towards the evaluation of Turkey's EU entry talks in December 2009 and Talat's future who is up for re-election early in 2010. Despite the concern in diplomatic circles at the leaders inability to find once all issues are taken together, particularly when viewed together with the property issue. Meanwhile options are already being considered as to how the second stage of the process should proceed, with the belief being expressed that the international community should isolate the leaders, without party representatives from either side, somewhere abroad, where the final give and take will take place.
On his part, in a recent interview with the Turkish Cypriot news agency, Talat was equally pessimistic. He added that it was nearly impossible to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem before the end of 2009. “Maybe even 2009 will pass without a solution. The negotiating process is moving at very slow rhythms". “From the moment that the Greek Cypriot side did not accept the Annan Plan as a basis for discussion, we have almost started from zero,” he said. “The international forces must certainly take action and look at the issues, which the two sides can’t find solutions to,” he added. He said Christofias entered the negotiations as a different person, “He is not as I expected him to be,” he said, adding that this was a huge disappointment to him, especially when Christofias attacked Turkey.Referring to his position that there are two nations in Cyprus, Talat concluded, “Of course there are two nations, with different languages, religions, joys and woes. When one is happy, the other is sad. Only if there is an earthquake or airplane tragedy will they have the same reaction.”He didn’t, however, exclude the possibility that the future could see the creation of one nation with two different languages.
Politis says that the property issue which is due to come up for discussion in January, is turning out to be a serious problem for the negotiating teams as they don't have any real experience in property matters and need the input of foreign experts to come up with solutions. The only thing they have to help them are the provisions that existed in the Annan plan but these can only be used as an aide in view of the fact that they are virtually starting from scratch. The two leaders, the paper adds, both realise that the talks are proceeding very slowly and are thinking of ways to speed up the process, such as six hourly weekly meetings of the leaders and even more active involvement of their advisers in the process. Few people believe that they will reach the deadline of the Euro-elections in June but are looking towards the evaluation of Turkey's EU entry talks in December 2009 and Talat's future who is up for re-election early in 2010. Despite the concern in diplomatic circles at the leaders inability to find once all issues are taken together, particularly when viewed together with the property issue. Meanwhile options are already being considered as to how the second stage of the process should proceed, with the belief being expressed that the international community should isolate the leaders, without party representatives from either side, somewhere abroad, where the final give and take will take place.
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