THE INVITATION for tenders on the road works needed to open the Limnitis crossing point will be issued next week, according to UN Special Representative Taye-Brook Zerihoun yesterday.
Although President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who met yesterday, did not discuss Limnitis during their talks, the president noted that he was worried there would be delays in implementation of the Limnitis deal that would create problems for the people who live there and in general.
“I want to believe that the UN, the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot side will contribute with a view to speeding up the process,” he said.
Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, Zerihoun said the UNDP-PFF (United Nations Development Programme-Partnership for the Future) will soon issue a tender document inviting proposals for an assessment on the improvement of the road, a 6.5km stretch of road between Limnitis and Kato Pyrgos.
“That document will be out hopefully on Monday, but certainly early in the week,” said Zerihoun. The EU and UN will be responsible for the tender process, he added.
The two leaders started yesterday’s meeting with an hour and a half tête-à-tête, after which they resumed their discussion on the issue of aliens, citizenship, immigration and asylum, which fall under the chapter of governance and power-sharing.
The two responded to each other’s original introductory statements on these issues and aim to conclude their discussions on this item next Thursday, without this meaning they have reached agreement, noted Christofias.
“They have also agreed to initiate the second reading – the second phase – of these negotiations and discuss also the schedule and programme for the resumption of these talks in early September,” said Zerihoun.
According to Talat’s spokesman, Hasan Erçakica, the Turkish Cypriots have proposed a methodology for the second reading where the two leaders discuss the major disagreements on governance and power-sharing and property while their two aides continue their work bridging the differences in other issues.
Erçakica argued that the objective of the Turkish Cypriot side is to maintain effective and speedy negotiations. He noted that recent polls showed Greek Cypriots were not very hopeful of a solution, adding that similar sentiments were shared by Turkish Cypriots.
The fact that the negotiations are dragging creates weariness among both communities, he said. “It also shakes their confidence to the negotiation process and has negative effects over their expectations,” he said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference more progress had been made in the past year than had been made since 1974.
“They have made significant progress, which we have not been able to see during the last three decades. That’s quite commendable,” said Ban. “I hope that they will be able to finish their consultations, negotiations as soon as possible. But they have taken many important, encouraging issues which have been very much appreciated by the international community.”
