Dialogue and a little effort, Powell says

THE Cyprus process could get back on track with continued dialogue and a little effort, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said.

Commenting on the possibility of a second referendum in Cyprus on the Annan plan, Powell expressed regret that the referendum that was held in April was not successful.

In the referendum Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the Annan plan while Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected it.

“We are now taking some actions with our European colleagues that provide some benefits to the northern part of Cyprus, the Turkish part of Cyprus, and we hope that, with continued dialogue and efforts, it may be possible to get the process back on track,” Powell said in Washington late on Wednesday.

However, he said he could not give a date as to when this would happen, “But I think it’s the right thing and we want to see a federated island, the whole island as part of the European Union, and we’ll continue toward that end,” said Powell.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.