Christofias going to New York ‘ready’, spokesman says

POLITICAL leaders and the President yesterday reached a consensus over various issues concerning Demetris Christofias’ upcoming meeting with the United Nations General-Secretary and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in New York next week, the government spokesman said.

“We are going to New York ready, with very clear positions,” Stefanos Stefanou said.

The informal leaders’ council met yesterday and was briefed by Christofias about next week’s meeting with Ban Ki-moon and Eroglu.

The briefing was followed by “a very constructive discussion in the informal leaders’ council and I should say there was understanding on various things,” Stefanou said.

He added: “Many things have been said so far about the meeting and it is good for the people to know there is understanding and that we are going to New York ready.”

Stefanou said the New York meeting was “within the framework of the (talks) procedure.”

“From then on there will not be a change in procedure … we are very clear on issues raised at times concerning arbitration and such matters,” Stefanou said.

The Greek Cypriot side has repeatedly said it will not accept arbitration or suffocating timeframes in the process to resolve the Cyprus problem.

Government partners DIKO said there was agreement as regards the aims of the Greek Cypriot side.

“There was a discussion on the potential scenarios we could find before us,” DIKO leader Marios Garoyian said.

EDEK chairman Yiannakis Omirou said the party leaders had agreed on how to handle the meeting and expressed hope any risks of diverting from the procedure would be avoided.

 

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