U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Sir Kieran Prendergast has advised against re-launching an intensive new process on Cyprus saying that such an action would be “premature and inadvisable”.
Prendergast was briefing the UN Security Council yesterday on his trip to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey between May 30 and June 7 for consultations on the future of his mission of good offices in Cyprus. He underlined that nothing positive would be served by kick-starting premature and intensive talks which had previously ended in “such a high-profile failure, or else in a frustrating stalemate.”
The UN Under-Secretary-General outlined the stance of President Tassos Papadopoulos who branded the plan as ‘unfair’ and largely favouring the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey.
“On substance, Mr Papadopoulos said that he believed the plan finalised by the Secretary-General last year gave the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey, in his words, ‘nearly everything they wanted, more than they needed, and more than was fair’. In his view, that is why a large majority of Greek Cypriots had rejected the plan while a large majority of Turkish Cypriots had accepted it.”
Referring to the ‘yes’ vote of the Turkish Cypriots, Prendergast said that Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat had told him that his people had comprised in the referendum noting the key issues, according to Talat, needed for a settlement.
“Mr Talat said that his people had been prepared to accept the UN plan not because it was ideal, but as a compromise. He stressed that certain key features – political equality, partnership, bizonality, bicommunality, the guarantee and alliance treaties – were the essence of the plan and should not be eroded.”
Prendergast said that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was still very much interested in the proceedings of the Cyprus problem.
“As things stand, the Secretary-General believes it would be prudent to proceed very carefully. He intends to reflect on the future of his mission of good offices in the period ahead. As he does so, he will take full account of the reaction of the Council to this report.
“He will also be observing closely developments on the ground, and, in particular, any evolution in the position of the parties, in light of the assessment and observations made above.”
Speaking to state television, Presidential Spokesman Marios Karoyian said that the government “would wait and see the reaction the reaction of the UN Security Council and that the matter would need to be reviewed fuller before an official answer is made”.
It is highly unlikely that Prendergast will return to the island, as the UN diplomat will be retiring from office in around a month.
