National Council briefed

The Government Spokesman said that there is nothing final yet as regards the joint communique for the start of talks on Cyprus.  “There is nothing that cannot be altered even at the last moment”, he added.

He was speaking after a meeting of the National Council yesterday during which President Anastasiades briefed party leaders on the latest consultations regarding the communique.

Asked if a draft proposal by the United Nations had been submitted at today’s meeting, the Spokesman said that there were more than one document presented, but not from the UN, and that party leaders had been fully informed on the details of certain documents which are under discussion.

Meanwhile the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative Alexander Downer is back on the island shuttling to and fro between the leaders of both communities.

Politis says the UN finds the Greek Cypriot views on the joint communique for the start of negotiations to be constructive, whereas Eroglu is still maintaining his hardline stance.

Talks could start this week

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris reports that Osman Ertug, Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu’s special representative, has said that negotiations could resume this week and the visits of the representatives of the leaders to Athens and Ankara could take place in two weeks time, if the Greek Cypriot side abandons its “rigid stance”.

“The Greek Cypriot side seems to have understood that they could not continue for a long time the rigid stance they have been following until now on the issue of the joint statement. We will see within a few days if this is true. Our wish is for these developments to happen within a few days. We, as Turkish Cypriot side, are the ones who said yes to the unconditional realization of the negotiations and the visits”, Ertug said.

Ertug added that the Turkish Cypriot side has the right to ask Turkey’s effective guarantees to be included in the joint statement in return for the Greek Cypriot side’s insistence on single sovereignty.

Solution could be catalyst for exit from financial crisis

A solution to the Cyprus problem could be the catalyst needed for the country to exit from the economic crisis, President Anastasiades said speaking at a ceremony yesterday.

“We are determined to turn the crisis into an opportunity”, he said. “We shall leave no stone unturned in order to solve our national issue. A solution could put an end to the economic crisis, as well as ending the occupation of our occupied lands and the influx of settlers. It would get rid of the Turking troops and would create conditions of unity and cooperation for all the people of the island”