Downer prepares the ground

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, has said that both sides want to resume talks on the Cyprus problem and that he had handed to them a document of convergences arising mainly from the talks between President Demetris Christofias and the Turkish Cypriot leaders Mehmet Ali Talat and Dervis Eroglu.

Mr Downer had a meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades during which they focused on the procedures to be followed if talks resume in October.

Mr Downer said after the meeting that the United Nations were having contacts with both sides to prepare the ground for the resumption of negotiations in the autumn.

However, he denied reports that he would be leaving in September, saying he would be going to brief the UN on developments and would return to Cyprus in October.

Downer said the appointment of negotiators by both sides was a positive development, saying that this way the two sides would have more direct communication and would be able to meet more frequently than before when talks involved the leaders of the two communities.

He said Ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis was a seasoned diplomat who is known at the United Nations and would be meeting him later this week as well as with the Turkish Cypriot Special Representative, Osman Ertug.

He added that in the meantime the two sides should work towards their own objectives but pointed out that the document submitted to them is very important for them to understand the agreements that had been reached.

Asked if he though there was enough time until October, Mr Downer said that this is the goal, noting that the Security Council in its resolution to renew the UNFICYP mandate said that October was a potential month for the resumption of talks.

He noted that the most important thing is to be well prepared so that when the process is resumed, it is successful.

Mr Downer met with Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu, on Monday.