Two leaders to ‘intensify’ talks

The leaders of the two communities yesterday agreed to intensify their meetings after they met for the first time since they both saw UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last month in Geneva.

However, it appears that any intensification appears to be in the meetings between the leaders’ respective aides who will have two half-day meetings a week. The leaders, on the other hand, will meet only once a week on Wednesdays, apart from next week when they will meet on Thursday.

According to UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer, yesterday’s session was once again dominated by procedural issues on how to move forward. He refused to be drawn on what chapters would be discussed saying this would be discussed next week.

Asked how long the “intensified” talks would go on for, he replied: “We’ll have to wait and see. As you know, the Secretary-General wants to meet the leaders again soon. No particular time has been decided at this stage for that meeting.”

Talks on the fundamental issues of the Cyprus problem will continue from where they left off, President Christofias told the press after his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu yesterday.

“Our view is that it is necessary to reaffirm everything that has been agreed before with Mr Talat in a clear way, as well as what has been agreed with Mr Eroglu, the few things that have been agreed, on the issues of economy and the EU,” he said.

Asked if he believed Eroglu would agree to link the chapters of territory and property, Christofias said: “They say hope dies when there are no people left... Our position is known and we insist on it.”

Regarding the basis of the talks, Christofias noted that this issue has already been cleared up with Talat but he still wanted Eroglu to clarify the basis of the solution they are trying to achieve.

“He is a new leader and I want to know how he really thinks on all issues,” he said.

The president also stated that he was prepared to continue negotiations up to the eve of elections in Cyprus in May and after. Elections will also be held in Turkey in June.

“Just let me go vote and from there on I’m ready to continue. We will see if Turkey is ready,” he said.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday briefed the UN Security Council on his recent visits to Europe and Africa, including his meeting in Geneva with the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus.

He said he was “reasonably satisfied” with the two Cyprus leaders and appreciated very much “their commitment to address all the core issues through negotiations”.

“They cleared some of their differences but much more work is needed”, he said.

He added that he would summon “another round of negotiation soon”, the specific date, agenda and venue of which would be decided at a later stage.

Until then, he urged the two leaders to carry on with the negotiations “so that they can bridge the gaps and to have as more convergences as possible”.

An editorial in the Cyprus Mail says that the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus obviously do not share UN special envoy Alexander Downer’s view that two-and-a-half years was a long time for the talks to be going on inconclusively.

Downer was given a dressing down by the Greek Cypriot media for daring to suggest that a deal should have been reached after just two years of talks. Was he party to the foreign conspiracy for ‘a speedy closure of the Cyprus problem’? Had he ignored Christofias’ assertion that he would never accept asphyxiating time-frames?

This unacceptable behaviour by Downer, who was also the target of unsubstantiated newspaper allegations, gave an excuse for an Evroko deputy to demand the Australian’s immediate withdrawal. This demand is made on a weekly basis, by a variety of politicians and journalists, all of whom are opposed to a speedy closure of the Cyprus problem.