Leaders discussing property

The Cyprus Mail reports that the property issue was again on the agenda yesterday as direct negotiations continued between President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.

Speaking after the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, the UN's special envoy in Cyprus, Alexander Downer, announced that the two leaders’ representatives would meet in the next few days to examine the work that needs to be done during Christofias and Eroglu’s next meeting on November 1.

Asked why the leaders seemed to be handing over most of the work to their representatives, Downer said: “The representatives work on the technical details, the leaders give them guidance, and, of course, the leaders are the people who make the decisions, not the representatives”.

He said he didn't see the logic in suggestions for a simultaneous process and more frequent meetings between the leaders. "I think the leaders…they don’t need to review every couple of days, or every four days or three days the work of the representatives. But at certain points, at certain junctures, they need to. So I think that’s probably the right way to handle it”.

Asked if the two leaders had managed to achieve any progress yesterday, Downer said Christofias and Eroglu continued "to work away at it". He added: "It’s a big and a complex area, the property question. So, they’re working at it.”

Meanwhile, it was reported that intense diplomatic efforts were underway to achieve an informal meeting between Christofias, Erdogan and Greek President Karolos Papoulias during their trip to the international conference on climate change in Athens.

The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee last night upheld by an 18-to-five majority vote a ruling saying the European Commission cannot bypass the Republic of Cyprus to implement direct trade with the Turkish-occupied north.

The EP’s legal service has ruled that the legal basis chosen by the Commission to push through the direct trade regulation was unsuitable and its potential adoption could undermine Cyprus’ sovereign rights.

According to the Cyprus Mail, it was a heated atmosphere inside a packed room in Strasbourg, with MEPs engaging in passionate debate and analysis of the Cyprus problem.

A motion was made to postpone discussion of the issue, but that was defeated by majority vote.
AKEL MEP Takis Hadjigeorgiou, the only Cypriot who spoke during the session, argued that the government was against anyone’s isolation.

Hadjigeorgiou said proof that the government was not in favor of isolation was the decision for co-management of the Famagusta port, in conjunction with the return of Varosha, which the Turkish Cypriots have rejected.

The Legal Affairs Committee decision will now be discussed by the Presidents’ Conference – EP President and leaders of the political groups – but it would be unlikely for them to go against it.
The Commission would then have to decide whether to send it to the Council, where unanimity is needed -- or withdraw it.