Annan meets Clerides and Denktash in Geneva

By a Staff Reporter

U.N. Secretary-general Kofi Annan held separate meetings in Geneva yesterday with President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash as part of the latest round of proximity talks.

Annan said he has given each sides his assessment of the talks and that he expects the two parties to study his report before the next round of talks in January.

He added that the proximity talks held with Special Adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto have got into the ‘substance’ and that the parties have made “good progress”.

“I have shared with them my assessment, where they stand, together with some thoughts on where they should go from here,” Annan said. “I have given them some general observations on some issues of procedure and substance.”

He announced he has asked de Soto to travel to Athens, Ankara and Cyprus later in November. “I hope that they will understand my words as an effort to take further steps in the direction of a comprehensive approach to a settlement”, he said.

“The UN is seeking to facilitate the parties’ efforts to reach that goal and my observations are offered to them in this constructive spirit”, he concluded.

Clerides made no comments after his meeting with Annan. Meanwhile Denktash said “we are leaving very satisfied” and that he and Annan had “a very good exchange of views”. Replying to questions, Denktash said he had not received anything from the UN chief, apart from “good will”.

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