By Jean Christou
UNFICYP chief of mission Dame Ann Hercus is to fly to New York today via London for talks on the Cyprus problem.
An announcement yesterday said Dame Ann would hold talks with UN Secretary- general Kofi Annan. En route, she will stop in London for talks with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. She will return to the island on Saturday.
“Both meetings will focus on the UN’s 1999 agenda of efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem,” the statement said.
Dame Ann is carrying out her three-month-old shuttle talks in secret without even informing each side of what the other is saying.
The surprise UN announcement was followed late yesterday by the news that Britain’s special Cyprus envoy Sir David Hannay would be on the island in the next few weeks.
The two developments, coupled with the resumption after the holiday break of the UN-backed shuttle-talks on Monday, are seen as a renewal of international interest in resolve the Cyprus problem.
Government spokesman Christos Stylianides confirmed that there was an increased interest in Cyprus, in the wake of President Clerides’ cancellation of the Russian s-300 missiles. He said missile the decision had created a positive climate.
“There is indeed an increased interest on the part of the international community following the review of the decision on the missiles,” Stylianides said. “But this interest has not yet materialised in a concrete manner.”
He added that so far there had been no indications from the Turkish side.
US ambassador Kenneth Brill, who met President Clerides on Monday, crossed to the occupied areas to see Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash yesterday.
British High Commissioner David Madden met Denktash on Monday and Clerides yesterday.
Following the meeting with Clerides, Madden announced that Sir David would be visiting the island.
And he said tomorrow’s London meeting between Dame Ann and Robin Cook could be seen as an initial step in Britain’s support of the UN process.
Madden said the meeting was an important indicator of Britain’s full support for the UN process.
Madden also stressed the importance of the two UN resolutions recently adopted on Cyprus by the Security Council, and particularly the one calling on the Secretary-general to secure a staged process for the reduction of troops and armaments on the island.
“In our view, the resolution provides very clear objectives and sets out some of the steps we would like to see taken,” Madden said.
