Mew meeting between sides

SENIOR AIDES to President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met yesterday for the first time in over a month to discuss the stalled July 8 process.
Rasit Pertev and Tassos Tzonis were invited for a meeting by UNFICYP Chief of Mission Michael Moller who was recently in New York for consultations with the UN over the delayed process.

The meeting lasted two and a half hours but no statements were made afterwards. Sources close to the process said it could neither be described as a ‘resumption’ nor a ‘new effort’. “It’s an ongoing process,” said the source.

Since the meetings began nine months ago the two sides have been unable to agree on the setting up of technical and working groups as agreed on July 8 last year with the UN.

Earlier yesterday Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardes, commenting on reports that the Turkish side had asked for the removal of Moller because he was a “friend of the Greek Cypriots”, said he did not hear anything official to that effect.

“We do not understand the reasons for which the Turkish side might possibly have asked for his removal,” he said.

Pashiardes said neither side was entitled to tell the UN Secretary-general who should represent him in Cyprus.

“This is for him to decide and it is within his competency, neither us or the Turkish side has a say or a right to intervene,” he said.

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