Wednesday 29 October 2008

Benefits outweigh costs

Former Cyprus President George Vasiliou says in an article in the press that he believes the current negotiations on the Cyprus problem are ‘condemned to succeed’ and that with Christofias and Talat at the helm "we can hope".

He says while on the G/C side there are people who hope that we can go back to the conditions prevailing when Cyprus became independent or as close as possible, and on the T/C side the theory of partition, ‘taxim’, is still alive and if this is not possible, then a ‘near-taxim’ solution under the cover of ‘federation’, however, there is a clear understanding on both sides that there can be no unilateral victory by either of the two and that we must both strive for a win-win solution. This implies that there is need for compromises from both sides. Compromises that, when reached, may be attacked by many on both sides but which in a few years will have been forgotten as we will all be working and enjoying the benefits of the reunited Federal Republic of Cyprus."The benefits of reunification will be substantially greater than the cost of the compromises that we may have to accept", he said and went on to outline the benefits of a solution.

On property he envisages that to a large extent the present territorial division between the two communities will remain in force but expects that about one-fifth of the land currently under Turkish Cypriot control will be returned to Greek Cypriots, including Famagusta, Morphou, a great number of villages and various other areas. The main problem arises overproperty that in one constituent states owned by someone living in the other.

"In some cases the legal owners will be able to return but in most cases, they will not either for practical reasons or because the owners may prefer compensation " . He said substantial sums of money will be made available from the UN and EU which will give a boost to the construction industry and provide the required liquidity for all kinds of projects that Greek or Turkish Cypriots may want to initiate.

"We will therefore be starting our new life as a united island with a substantial ‘dowry’", he added.

The fact that the Federal Republic of Cyprus will be a full member of the EU from the first moment of the solution in the same way as the united Germany was, will enable the two communities to trust each other. "Suspicion of the others’ motives is probably the greatest challenge of a reunited federal Cyprus. In the EU however, legislation is for everybody and all countries. Thus we are ’condemned’ to trust each other and accordingly co-operation between the two communities should develop smoothly".He also highlighted that after some transitional periods, we will all enjoy the full benefits of the freedom of movement of goods, people, services and capital, while the development of commerce and industry will naturally create new and strong relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, helping them to get to know each other better, co-operate and jointly take advantage of the many opportunities arising from membership of the European Union."Even if at the beginning bitter feelings from the long years of partition may still prevail, gradually these will fade until they finally disappear", he said. "Cypriots, instead of thinking of the sufferings and conflicts of the past will work together to create a better future for themselves and the country as a whole".

Meanwhile an article in Politis says that Christofias' proposals on the property issue includes a proposal for increasing the building quotient on T/C property in the south and a system for allowing current occupiers of property to rent it from the legal owners for a period of 15 - 20 years. The paper quotes diplomatic sources as saying that the proposal is based on the principle that both the legal owners as well as the current occupants have rights to property throughout the island and says it is modelled along the lines of a successful model implemented in Beirut by the murdered Lebanese President Hariri.

Thursday 23 October 2008

Another meeting

The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus met in Nicosia yesterday under UN auspices starting with an hour and half tête-à-tête. Then, continuing the discussions on the federal executive, They heard from their two representatives on the follow-up meeting that they held on the 16th of October to help explain and clarify positions on the issue. The leaders then took up the issue themselves, and had a constructive exchange of views, and then directed their representatives to carry on these discussions next Thursday. Following that, the leaders had a preliminary discussion on the legislature; these discussions will continue when the two Leaders meet again on the 3rd of November.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus, Taye Brook Zerihoun, described the meeting as a constructive exchange of views. He told reporters afterwards that “there are some issues that cannot be discussed in isolation from other issues, so they have left some of these issues aside. They have asked their representatives to look at some issues, to find bridging ideas. So this is a process that will continue. And I think it’s going well.”

President Christofias the day before yesterday expressed regret at continuing public accusations of the Turkish Cypriot leadership and stressed that he will discuss the various issues at the negotiating table. “It is regrettable that we should have friendly discussions at the meetings and outside the meetings to be accusing each other,” he said, when asked to comment on statements by Mr Talat and Mr Soyer that the Greek Cypriot side has no political will for a solution. Asked to respond to criticism that he has invested too much in his friendship with Mr Talat, Christofias stressed that he opted to invest in friendship rather than enmity or hatred. “It remains to be seen in practice whether either of us will be true to this friendship” he added. He assured that he would not walk out of the talks. Regarding the Greek Cypriot side’s position on the issue of guarantees, he noted that it is unnatural for a modern country to have guarantees or custodians, adding that “the issue is being discussed for 34 years or 30 years at the negotiating table”. Replying to a question on whether the issue of the British Bases would be raised at the talks, the President said that the issue was not on the agenda of the direct talks with Mr Talat. ”

Let us hope that we will be able to reach a solution with Mr Talat to reunite our island, to put an end to the occupation and terminate colonization and let’s leave this issue of the British Bases to be raised in due course by our children” he said. Regarding the role of the EU, President Christofias said that any intervention on behalf of the EU must be based on Protocol 10 and on the principles and values of the European Union. He also noted that he is in continuous contact with EU leaders and the European Commission and Parliament, informing them on the course of the talks. Asked about the significance of his forthcoming meeting to Moscow next month, President Christofias said it was highly significant just like his visit to Beijing. He further noted: “Turkey has unfortunately become a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Closer contact with the Permanent Members of the Security Council is needed”. He added that Russia was one of Cyprus' main and consistent supporters and he will surely build upon the friendship and collaboration between the two countries.Invited to say whether Turkey’s election as a non-permanent Security Council member was considered a huge failure for the Cyprus Government, the President said “all those who write and speak about a huge failure on our part should look more into international relations and stop blaming this Government. The decision by various countries to support Turkey was not made yesterday. It is the work of some years on behalf of Turkey, made with consistency and a lot of expenses, and that is why it has succeeded. I am sorry for that but let’s not blame ourselves. We tried these last months but unfortunately, as we realized, things were already predestined as regards supporting Turkey in its bid to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council”.Asked to say if he thought there was an end and a timeframe to the ongoing direct negotiations for a solution, President Christofias replied negatively and noted: “The talks might end pretty soon if there is mutual understanding and good will from both sides. There might be no conclusion if each side has different and opposing views”. He added that he expected that the international community would make its own assessments at some point but he was making it clear that personally he was not willing to receive pressure. "Those who will put pressure will bring about the opposite effect.”

US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama last week issued a strong message of support for Cyprus to the Greek American community. The statement said that as US President, Barack Obama will show leadership in seeking to negotiate a political settlement on Cyprus. Furthermore, he conveyed his strong belief that Cyprus should remain a single, sovereign country in which each of the two communities is able to exercise political authority within a bi-zonal, bicommunal federation.

"There must be a just and mutually agreed settlement of difficult issues like property, refugees, land, and security. A negotiated political settlement on Cyprus would end the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and repair the island’s tragic division while paving the way to prosperity and peace throughout the entire region. It would also give Cypriots a firm foundation on which to build their future after many years of division and uncertainty. It would help foster better Greek-Turkish relations, strengthen Turkish democracy, reduce the risk of military conflict, and remove a major obstacle to Turkish membership in the EU", he said.

Monday 13 October 2008

Both Nikiforos and Taurus military exercises cancelled

Speaking to the press on his return from his weekly meeting of talks on the Cyprus problem with Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, President Christofias announced that the annual military exercise Nikiforos was being cancelled. Later in the day, Reuters said that Talat's spokesman had also announced the holding of the Tauros military exercise in the north.

Christofias recalled that he had asked the UN Secretary-General at their last meeting in New York last month to help get these exercises cancelled.

As regards the talks, Christofias said discussions were continuing. but he was not in a position to announce anything. He said the discussion was could and would continue. Messers Iacovou and Nami would be taking up the various issues in conjunction with respective experts and the talks would then continue next Wednesday. He refused to be drawn into saying whether he was pleased or not.

"When there is progress, we will say so”, he said.

Saturday 11 October 2008

Leaders meet more frequently

Talks between Christofias and Talat resumed yesterday with the leaders agreeing to meet on a weekly basis from now on. According to the Cyprus Mail, the move to meet more regularly came after murmurings from the UN that the process was not going fast enough.

UN Special Envoy Alexander Downer made a brief statement after yesterday’s meeting saying it had been a productive encounter. He said they had continued to discuss power sharing and governance, on which they made progress, and also began discussions about the structure of the federal executive, on which they each made proposals. Their next meeting was set for Monday when these discussions will continue. Working groups, representatives and experts will meet according to the instructions of the leaders as needed,” he added.

“I think it is, from my point of view, very important that the leaders be given plenty of space in order to continue their work, and it is important that all commentators in the media bear this in mind. This is a very important negotiation for the future of Cyprus and the leaders will need a lot of space in order to conduct those negotiations”, Downer said.Asked to comment on why the meetings were upped to one a week, Downer said there had not been meetings in recent weeks for one reason or another, and both leaders did want to meet on a weekly basis to keep the momentum of the process going.

Speaking after a meeting with Christofias the previous day, Downer had said that it is important for everybody to look to the future and to make the negotiations a success but achieving success would require great acts of statesmanship. He said he hoped the UN was being helpful and would continue to assist the leaders in achieving their set objectives. “It's clear what they ultimately want to achieve, they want to achieve a peace settlement,” he said.

Speaking on his return to the Presidential Palace after the meeting, Christofias said he was “generally satisfied” but would not elaborate other than to say that Downer's statements expressed both their views. He did say, however, that he and Talat had a friendly discussion and they would have more tête-à-têtes. “There have been three meetings so far. I don’t think we should give the message that the Cyprus problem should have been solved by now”, he said. He said there were five or six very important aspects of the problem on which the two communities have conflicting views. “This is clear. Therefore, we more than anybody else, but also you, must be patient,” he said. “We shall have progress which might not be so quick or at a great speed. So long as we have progress. Today, we have made one or two steps which concern the powers of the central government,” he added.

Meanwhile the three Elders visiting Cyprus left yesterday convinced that the two leaders were on the verge of an agreement.

Speaking at a news conference, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said The Elders considered this time to be a unique moment in history for Cyprus with two “relatively young, courageous and charismatic” leaders that were determined to find a solution. “They have so much going for them,” he said. “We want to say go for it. I’m not as young as I look. I want to come back here and celebrate with all of you.”

“We come really not as nosey old men – well I am,” said Tutu. “We have come to encourage. They (the leaders) have the capacity to tell their people: ‘It’s okay, let’s go in faith, stretch out a hand to our sisters and brothers of the other community’. We told them that success in South Africa came not because people grabbed everything and got all they wanted. Success came because the leaders were prepared to make concessions…to make compromises…not to say ‘we have a bottom line, it’s all or nothing’.”

Former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi said he could not stress enough what the Archbishop said about moments in history. “In South Africa miracles happened every day,” he said. “We have the impression that a moment like that is on hand for Cyprus.”

Tutu said that in South Africa neither Nelson Mandela, nor Frederik de Klerk could have acted alone. “Each on his own would not have accomplished what was accomplished together,” he said. “They were able to accomplish what turned out to be an epoch-making step.”

Former US President Jimmy Carter said a lot could be done to break down the barriers. “In negotiations I’ve been involved in there had to be compromises, and in each case the compromise was less important than the goal.”

Tutu also said if the leaders miss this opportunity their children and grandchildren would ask why.“Failure is not an option because if it were to happen it would set things back very, very considerably,” he said. “I hope they don’t disappoint us old men as well. We live in a world where there is a great deal of evil but there is a great deal of good as well. Look here. Maybe you could give the world something to smile about. You’ve got the capacity,” he added.

Carter said he didn’t see failure ahead. “I would say it’s not difficult to solve. I see clearly in mind that we are on the verge of seeing an agreement here with all the people wanting peace and I think it’s quite likely we will have success here,” he said. If not, then he didn’t see anything worse than a continuation of the status quo. “We didn’t come here to tell people we are know-it-alls. We came to say you are doing a splendid job and carry on to the consummation we can see on the horizon,” he added.

Tutu did warn that “the truth does not automatically heal. It can exacerbate and make worse the anguish. You want a process based on restorative, not retributive justice…not seeking to punish but to use the process for therapeutic healing.” He said the past was important but people should not be held hostage by it. “You have to deal with it at some point,” he added.

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Downer and Elders to tell leaders to pull their socks up

UN Special Envoy Alexander Downer, who arrived on the island today, has said that everyone was hopeful and that he himself was cautiously optimistic about the Cyprus problem. Downer who flew in from Brussels where he met EU Commissioner Olli Rehn yesterday, will leave at the weekend for London where he will have contacts with the British government.

The Cyprus Mail quotes sources close to the process as saying that Downer is expected to give the two leaders a pep talk when he joins them in their next meeting on Friday. Although the language is couched diplomatically, the bottom line is that the UN is unhappy with the pace of the talks and with the counterproductive statements both leaders are making through the media. He is expected to give Christofias and Talat “his impressions of where the talks are at, and where they are going”, to ask them to stop talking to each other through the media and to refrain from making inflammatory speeches at international fora. A UN request for more frequent meetings could also be on the cards.

“Mr Downer is expected to explore with the leaders how he can be more helpful to them and how he can be more active,” said the sources, but that nothing would be done without their approval as both sides have an aversion to any sort of arbitration from the UN or other foreign mediators.It is understood that the UN would also like to see more of the issues being handed over to the aides to the two leaders, Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou, and Ozdil Nami, the advisor to Talat as this could speed up the pace of the negotiations.

In addition three of the twelve Elders arrived in Cyprus today to give a boost to the flagging Cyprus talks and to encourage the leaders by lending their weighty support to the process. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter and former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi will today and tomorrow meet political leaders, civil society representatives and young people from the island's Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities.

The Elders are to urge the international community to embrace the fact that a lasting settlement is within reach in Cyprus, and actively to support the leaders and the peace process. They also want to commend Christofias and Talat for their efforts to reunify the island. But they have emphasised that they would not be involved in the negotiations. "We are here to say that the world wants this island to find peace – we wish it with all our hearts. We encourage all Cypriots to look forward to the potential benefits that a peaceful resolution can bring. And we want to make sure that the current efforts of the Cypriot leaders to reach a lasting settlement are fully supported by the international community,” said Elders chairman Archbishop Tutu.

A written statement said The Elders were looking forward to their first meeting, which will be a discussion with young people from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. "Today's young people are the ones who will live with the outcome of their leaders' work. The first time in their lives that they will cast a ballot may even be to vote on the outcome of the current peace process. I hope that day is not far off. I am all too aware of the many years it has taken to get to this point,” President Carter said.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris reported that only one third of the issues related to governance and power sharing have been agreed the two leaders after three meetings of talks. Under the headline: “It’s going badly,” the newspaper leaked that they were only able to agree on seven out of 20 aspects on governance and power sharing. One of the four core issues that need to be resolved, governance was supposed to be the easiest to negotiate. Discussion on 11 of the points was temporarily postponed and on the two remaining points, the leaders were said to be in complete disagreement, according to the information.

The seven chapters agreed include citizenship and asylum, extradition and deportation, drugs smuggling, money laundering and organised crime, appointment of federal officials, copyright, and elections and referenda. The two issues they did not agree on were the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and antiquities. The former is likely related to disagreement over the possible oil and gas reserves off the island’s south-eastern coastline. The 11 postponed chapters include foreign relations and international agreements with defence policies, EU relations, Central Bank Functions, the financial and banking sectors, aviation, post office, electronic communication, transportation and natural resources.

Saturday 4 October 2008

Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe speeches

President Christofias speaking before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg earlier this week, called for an agreement to abolish military exercises on both sides in Cyprus, as well as complete demilitarisation of old Nicosia. He said he believed the two measures would improve the climate surrounding the Cyprus negotiations and would help the talks succeed.

Christofias revealed that he had asked the UN S-G to promote an agreement to abolish the annual military exercises Nikiforos and Toros that the Cyprus National Guard and the Turkish military forces hold each autumn in and around the island, as well as measures of military de-escalation, such as the disengagement of forces, particularly in the Nicosia region, including the full demilitarisation of the old town of Nicosia within the Venetian walls, the designation of a demilitarised zone, and other measures.

As regards the talks he said Cypriots did not have the luxury to fail this time around. “No solution is not a solution, as some people claim,” he said. “I believe that we can and that must succeed. The will of the Cypriot people for a solution is essential. However, it is not in itself, sufficient. Turkey, too, must contribute to the process in a positive way.”

Later at a news conference Christofias said he would even be willing to go back and live in his home village of Dikomo in the north and live under Turkish Cypriot administration in order to build confidence after a solution .

While in Strasbourg, Christofias also met up with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. The Cyprus Mail reported that Christofias, on hearing that Talat was in a nearby auditorium, knocked on the door and asked if he could "commit a peaceful invasion”. He said they sat together for about ten minutes and when Talat asked him what he was going to say in his speech he said "I am going to say that I love you. which I did today, I think, in the political sense of the word, of course, and I expect Mr Talat's response tomorrow". He added that it was a friendly meeting between friends from the two communities.

In contrast, Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) a day after Christofias, listed a litany of grievances against the Greek Cypriots and blamed them for obstructing a settlement.

The Cyprus Mail reported that unlike Christofias, who talked about “all Cypriots” and mistakes of the past, Talat spoke little about his vision of a shared future, and only about how Turkish Cypriots had been wronged. He listed Turkish Cypriot grievances from isolation through to education, missing persons and the Annan plan, about which he said he could not forget "the state-led ‘no’ campaign and the negative role played by the Greek Cypriot leadership, namely, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and today’s Greek Cypriot leader and my dear friend Mr Demetris Christofias".

Speaking of the new peace process, Talat said the Turkish Cypriot people were ready to work for an early, comprehensive settlement. “The party that needs to contribute to the process and prove that it wants solution is the Greek Cypriot side,” he said.

He added that the difficultie that existed "do not emanate from Turkey, as argued by Mr Demetris Christofias. These difficulties emanate from the fact that the Greek Cypriot side is reluctant to share the sovereignty of Cyprus with the Turkish Cypriot people.”Talat said he personally showed a lot of flexibility so that the Greek Cypriot side would sit at the table, and that to “strengthen Christofias”, he had given his approval for joint statements to reflect a common language, even though it was not part of the initially agreed procedure.

“Today, I regard the initiation of comprehensive settlement negotiations as a great improvement, but I have to say that the main obstacle in front of further progress is the reluctance of the Greek Cypriot side to give effect to the Turkish Cypriots’ political equality,” said Talat.He called for an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and appealed to the Parliamentary Assembly to support proposals that would contribute to the solution instead of supporting “unilateral initiatives”.

He went on to outline his administration’s efforts to review history books and called on PACE to urge the Greek Cypriot side to “eliminate language in their own text books that encite enmity and hatred against Turkish Cypriots”. He added that while Greek Cypriot schools in the north were unfettered in their operation, it was “very saddening” that Turkish Cypriots living in Limassol had not been afforded the same opportunities amd called for the setting up of a separate school for Turkish Cypriots that would provide children with education in their mother tongue.He also referred back to 1963 on the issue of Turkish Cypriot missing persons.Talat said ultimately the Cyprus problem was a problem of cohabitation of two peoples on a small island, and although Turkish Cypriot people “had been the victim of the Cyprus problem for many years now”, they were determined to solve the problem “without being enslaved by any feelings of revenge”.

He added that the responsibility of the Turkish Cypriots who make up 20 percent of the island’s population in the creation and continuation of the Cyprus problem is very small compared to others.

Talat’s address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has sparked a disappointed reaction among Greek Cypriot politicians. Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said that for there to be any hope of a solution, he added, “we need to look ahead” and work based on the principles and agreements that the two communities have reached over the years. “What will count now is how the two communities are presenting themselves at the negotiations table, now the direct talks have begun,” he said.

DISY president Nicos Anastassiades described the speech as “completely negative”. Instead of speaking about his vision for the future of this country, he said, Talat attempted through reproaches and referring to the past, to justify unacceptable views regarding a resolution to the Cyprus problem. The DISY leader added that it was time everyone realised the need to cultivate a good climate, not just through words but in action.

The Cyprus Mail reports that the Turkish Cypriot media had a completely different take on Talat’s statements in Strasburg, which some described as a “historical speech”.

Later the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council (PACE) issued a resolution on Cyprus. In it the organisation said Cyprus should lift its objection to the direct trade regulation for Turkish Cypriots, and the breakaway north should stop asking for a separate state, said. It also called on the Greek Cypriot side to change its history books, and on the Turkish Cypriot side to halt property development on Greek Cypriot land. In addition, the organisation said Turkey should reduce its military presence in the north and normalise its relations with Cyprus, while Greece should facilitate dialogue between Turkey and Cyprus.

After hearing the views of both Cypriot leaders this week, and examining its own report on Cyprus, PACE said in a resolution that even with a new and more positive climate between the two communities, mistrust between them was still deep. New efforts were needed to reactivate inter-communal contacts, encourage dialogue, promote reconciliation and restore confidence, PACE said. However, it commended the political will and determination shown by the leaders of the two Cypriot communities and fully endorses their efforts. It urged them to develop and to maintain a climate of reconciliation, confidence and mutual respect, as well as to avoid all action or declarations that could harm the ongoing constructive dialogue and accentuate tensions.

The PACE resolution welcomed the efforts made by the EU and by Cyprus aimed at improving the situation of Turkish Cypriots, but that more needs to be done in order to facilitate Turkish Cypriots’ integration into Cyprus and Europe. It therefore called for new goodwill steps to be taken to allow increased international trade, educational, cultural and sporting contacts of the Turkish Cypriot community, "it being understood that these activities cannot be misused to attain political purposes incompatible with the aim of reunifying the island.

In this context PACE called on the Republic of Cyprus to lift objections to the adoption of the Council of the European Union’s direct trade regulation put forward by the European Commission allowing free direct trade between Turkish Cypriots and the EU through their own ports.

PACE also said the Turkish Cypriot side needed to confirm its commitment to reunifying Cyprus, and should refrain from insisting on the existence of a separate state in the north of the island. The Turkish Cypriot side should also consider specific aid to help the Turkish settlers to leave the island, and place the deserted city of Famagusta under UN control.The Assembly said it was hopeful that, despite deep-rooted differences between the parties on a number of key issues to be negotiated, the current situation offered the best opportunity in many years to reach a settlement. “President Christofias and Mr Talat are conscious that they cannot afford to fail.” All the internal and external actors involved must do their utmost to maximise the chances of success,” the resolution said.

Meanwhile the Cyprus Mail reports that U.N. Special envoy for Cyprus, Alexander Downer, will be arriving on the island on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s talks between the two leaders. Downer will arrive on the same day as Elders Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu and Lakhdar Brahimi, who will visit the island for two days to help boost the negotiations process.The paper says the UN is not thrilled with the slow progress being made by Christofias and Talat, whose speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe further strained relations this week.Downer was in New York earlier in the week to brief UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on progress since the leaders first met on September 3. According to reports from New York, Downer feels the two sides have not shifted their views and positions, which has slowed the process down.He also spoke of fatigue, saying if the negotiations continued at their current pace, the initial momentum would be lost.Mediators are now deliberating on the possibility of putting the issues back to the working groups, letting them take care of the details and leaving the political decisions up to the two leaders.Otherwise endless and open-ended debating of the issue would continue.The behaviour of the two leaders once they leave the meetings has also left mediators puzzled. While the atmosphere inside is said to be cordial, once they emerge, they begin criticising each other. Downer is scheduled to meet with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on Monday , and will then fly to Brussels to meet EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn before arriving in Cyprus.

President Christofias yesterday briefed the National Council on how the negotiations in the Cyprus problem are going. Speaking after the four-hour meeting, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the parties had submitted their views on the subject and a fruitful and creative discussion had ensued.

Asked to comment on reports that UNFICYP Chief of Mission Taye-Brook Zerihoun had intervened to promote Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), Stefanou said the government did not comment on such information. “We are centering our attention on the core discussion for the Cyprus problem, because the Cyprus problem is not going to be resolved with CBMs, but with agreement on core issues,” he said.

President Demetris Christofias reached out to Turkish Cypriots in his speech to mark Cyprus' Independence Day, urging them to join Greek Cypriots in forging a new future.“Cyprus belongs to all Cypriots,” he said. “It is time to learn from the bitter experiences of the past to join hands and act as Cypriots and to close our ears to interfering voices who are only seeking to lead us into accepting foreign solutions to the detriment of our own interests.”Christofias said Cyprus was too small to be divided but “sufficiently large to accommodate all of its children”. “A reunified Cyprus can be the common home for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, respecting the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious particularities of each community,” he said.

“The Republic of Cyprus is the solid basis on which our people can enjoy progress and prosperity. This requires the preservation of the entity of the Cyprus state,” he said. The objective of reunification and the transformation of Cyprus into a bizonal, bicommunal federation remained a priority and commitment, he added, as "non-solution is not a solution and partition equals disaster.

“The reunified Federal Republic of Cyprus will be the joint state of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. There will neither be a Greek state, nor a Turkish state. It will be a common home for Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots as was the Republic of Cyprus, the unitary state of 1960.”

Christofias said the mistakes of the past must not be repeated and that there is no alternative method of resolving the Cyprus problem other than peaceful negotiation under the auspices of the United Nations.