New year starts with full agreement

Demitris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday held their first meeting of the new year.

Speaking after the meeting which lasted three hours, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Taye-Brook Zerihoun said that the two leaders had reached full agreement on the issue of harmonisation and cooperation between the federal government and the constituent states and are very close to agreement on the question of hierarchy of laws and have decided to continue discussions on this issue in order to overcome the remaining obstacles. He said Special Representative Alexander Downer will be present at the next meetings between the two leaders which will be on January 12 and 16. He added that the two men first had a private meeting that lasted one hour.

Speaking to the press later, Christofias said he thought the meeting went well and that there was mutual understanding. Asked if he had conveyed the G/C side's displeasure at provocative statements coming from the Turkish side, Mr Christofias said that at his meetings he wants to build bridges not blow them up.

The two leaders in Cyprus yesterday issued a joint communique in which they "condemn the attack against Gaza and the disproportionate use of force applied by the Israeli forces that has led to huge loss of life of innocent civilians including women and children". They urge the international community to use its influence to bring the violence to an immediate end.

Diko said it was surprised at this joint communique saying it was as if the President was giving away his right to conduct foreign policy. Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said he was surprised Diko was suprised saying Diko was creating an issue where there wasn't one.

Both Christofias and Talat over the holiday period reiterated the hope that 2009 would be the year for a solution. Christofias said on Friday night during the cutting of the Vasilopita at AKEL that he hoped 2009 would be a year for a solution and reunification of the island but also warned that the Greek Cypriot side would not make unacceptable concessions or shift its position on aiming for a federation in Cyprus.In his New Year message, Talat said the Turkish Cypriots had started to look forward to their future with hope, since talks began last September. “With the election of Demetris Christofias… a new hope for peace was born, and this is how the negotiations process started,” he said. He hoped 2009 would be the year when peace would be found in Cyprus.

Meanwhile a storm in a teacup has broken out over the decision by House President and Diko leader Marios Garoyian to send back a basket of presents sent to him by Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat for the New Year. His action was criticised in the Turkish Cypriot press which called it an insult. Diko said that the reason he did so was because it wrote "President Mehmet Ali Talat" and "TRNC" on the card. Disy leader Nicos Anastasiades responded by saying that accepting a present does not mean recognition. The Government Spokesman refused to get involved.