Property talks end early

The Cyprus Mail reports that the UN was upbeat yesterday that the two all-day talks on property completed between the two sides were “very useful” despite the fact that they ended early.

The two leaders called it a day after lunch yesterday, authorising their respective aides to pick up where they left off next week as both prepare for trips to Brussels and New York.

The Australian diplomat said there was nothing to read into the fact that the talks ended earlier yesterday than they did on Tuesday, saying the leaders simply decided “this was the best way of handling it”, a view shared by the UN. “There is no point in the meeting going on just for the sake of going on,” he added.

The UN team in Cyprus placed a lot of weight on the all-day talks showing some signs of progress on the property talks, which until now had got stuck on both sides simply repeating their positions of principle.

As a result of the all-day talks, the two sides had to submit lengthy documents containing their proposals on how to overcome the property obstacle.
According to one diplomatic source, momentum has been maintained and the two sides have reached a stage where they are ready to take it to a technical level between the two representatives.

The two aides will be able to work in greater detail and in franker tone, to put some flesh on the bones of a number of proposals raised during the all-day sessions, including the Turkish Cypriot proposal on “urban development”. This reportedly involves developing Turkish Cypriot land in the government-controlled areas to raise compensation funds for those displaced Greek Cypriots who will not return to their properties.

“They are definitely inching closer,” said the source, despite the rather negative spin put on alleged leaks of the proposals in the press. He warned however that it was still early days as a lot of work had yet to be done. On the plus side, the potential was there as neither side put up any red flags.

Asked whether he thought the two leaders could actually make progress, Downer said: “We will tell you at the United Nations when we, from our perspective, are unhappy with the way the process is going and we will tell you when we are satisfied with the way the process is going. And my answer to that question today is that we are satisfied with the way the process is going.”
Probed further, the UN diplomat said he did not wish to expand on this because “it starts the hares running”.

On his return from the talks, Christofias said it was “the right decision” to authorise their respective aides to discuss the proposals in greater detail so that they may reach some convergence which they will present to the leaders who will meet again in October.

For his part, Eroglu said that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. He noted that property was the most important chapter in the negotiations but that the other five would also be discussed.

According to one source, the dinner diplomacy at the homes of Christofias and Eroglu in recent months paid off in the sense that it contributed to creating a more familiar relationship between the two leaders who decided yesterday to stop talking in general terms and let their aides get into the nitty gritty.

Politis says that the reason Christofias cut short the discussion on the property issue yesterday and push it onto their two advisors was in order to avoid any tension arising from the difference of opinion as regards the percentage of G/Cs who would be given restitution and allowed to live in the north as well as the degree of development that will be allowed on T/C property in the south with the aim of raising cash to compensate G/C property owners who will not be returning. Thus Iacovou and Ozersai will have intensive meetings next week with the task of producing results before the UN S-G meets with Christofias and Eroglu in New York. The ultimate aim is to have a common framework ready for discussion in October when the two leaders resume.

The paper says that at the meeting Eroglu again raised the issue of bizonality stressing that each community should have a majority and majority land ownership in each federated state, while Christofias said that that the G/C side sees bizonality as a geographical term which should not prevent members from either community from settling in either federated state. This is a UN idea, which Christofias views favourably. He is also willing to discuss the T/C proposal of “guaranteed compensation” for G/Cs who will not return to their property, especially if such compensation amounts approach today’s values.

The biggest stumbling block, the paper says is the issue of bizonality. T/Cs wish to drastically limit the number of G/Cs settlling in their state, something the G/C side is dead against.