Long hot summer of talks ahead

2011-01-27

 

THE TALKS look set to continue without any imposed deadlines, arbitration or international conference until the election break around April, after which the leaders could face a hot summer of negotiations.

Yesterday’s meeting at the UN headquarters in Geneva between the UN chief and two leaders failed to deliver what many promised or warned it would though it did set a path for the UN to maintain momentum in the talks for the coming months without entering into a blame game.

Prior to the key meeting at the Palais des Nations, there was a lot of hard talk emanating from the Turkish Cypriot negotiating team as reported in the press.

Our View: A polite warning from the UNSG

2011-01-27

ON THE SURFACE, the statement made by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, after yesterday’s meeting with the two leaders in Geneva, appears clinically bland. Yet more careful reading reveals his intentions, which although set out in diplomatic language aimed at keeping both sides happy, are made pretty clear.

In fairness, nobody expected him to speak openly about a time-frame or to censure the two leaders for failing to deliver on what had been agreed during November’s New York meeting. He did, however, mention that “the two leaders worked to move closer together through a range of bridging proposals,” as had been agreed, but “nonetheless more work must be done to reach further convergence on the outstanding core issues.”

Ban: not enough work done yet

2011-01-27

THE GREEK and Turkish Cypriot sides have made progress since a meeting at the United Nations in New York last November but more work must be done to reach further convergences on the outstanding core issues, the UN Secretary-General said yesterday.

The two sides have also agreed to intensify the negotiations through a series of additional meetings in the coming weeks, Ban Ki-moon said, after a meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Dervis Eroglu in Geneva.

Downer’s dreams and dodgy hotel flags

2011-01-27

OUR GROUP of travelling reporters on a commercial flight- Air Moufflon One  -to Geneva via Athens were accompanied by the Greek Cypriot negotiating team, including President Demetris Christofias.

During the Athens stopover, reporters got wind of comments made by Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu regarding his plans to seek a timeframe to the talks, so they can wrap up by end of March.

We pressed members of the negotiating team to get government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou to give us a response. The message was passed on to those in first class and we sat patiently in the clouds.

Economic reforms to stave off any ratings cut

2011-01-27

THE GOVERNMENT is committed to cutting the inflated civil service, a key drain on resources, and introducing pension reform to stave off rating downgrades by rating agencies, Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis said yesterday.

Cyprus has already had one ratings downgrade, by Standard and Poor’s last November, while this month another two agencies warned the island’s sovereign debt could face the chop.

The island, which has gone onto international markets three times in the past 18 months for cash, may do so again in May or June.

“We do have chronic problems which we are not sweeping under the carpet, but are trying to solve,” Stavrakis told reporters after a meeting with Moody’s Investors Service.

New optimism after visit to Qatar

2011-01-27

FINANCE Minister Charilaos Stavrakis yesterday said it would be foolish for Cyprus not to cooperate with Qatar as the two sides seem to be trying to overcome difficulties regarding a multi-million euro deal to construct a luxury complex in Nicosia.

”The whole climate is not easy. Nevertheless, I am optimistic there will be an agreement that will be to the benefit of the Cypriot economy,” Stavrakis said.

Stavrakis, accompanied by government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou, travelled to Qatar last weekend to see the Emir and discuss the joint venture, which seems to be delayed due to differences on the value of the land opposite the Hilton hotel.

The land will be contributed by Cyprus in exchange for Qatar investing what the property was worth in cash.

Palestinian ‘tent city’ springs up at Mackenzie beach

2011-01-27

TWELVE Palestinian families of asylum seekers have been camping out at Mackenzie beach, in Larnaca, for the last five days.

They are currently living in tents as they claim that the Welfare office has cut their benefits.

A spokesman for the twelve families, consisting of around 30 people including women, men and children, said that they were forced to leave their apartments and set up tents on the beach because the District Labour Office and Social Security stopped their benefits. As a result they did not have money for rent and food.

ECHR sends the Church packing over property

2011-01-27

THE EUROPEAN Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has rejected an application by Archbishop Chrysostomos II against Turkey, on behalf of the Church of Cyprus and its followers, over violations of their rights to enjoy property, and holding religious services.

The ECHR ruled that in accordance with a previous ruling, Chrysostomos should apply to the Turkish Cypriot breakaway state’s compensation commission.

In the application, filed through lawyer and DIKO MP Andreas Angelides in 2009, the Church leader complained that because of the Turkish invasion of 1974, the Church and its parishioners had to leave behind property and flee places of worship.

Solomou Square disruption will last another eight months

2011-01-27

NICOSIA Municipality said yesterday there was “no other way” around the disruptions to pedestrians and traffic in the area of Solomou Square, which is in the middle of being

modernised and streamlined.

According to the Municipality’s architect Marina Tymviou, commenting on the traffic in and around the area, the project simply must be done. ‘There is no other way,” she said.

However she did give reassurances that at no point would access through the square itself be cut off for pedestrians at least.

Recently the road going through the square, giving access to the old town, has been narrowed even more as the works move further into the square.

New political party aims for balance

2011-01-27

A GROUP of former English School pupils, better known for their widely-supported petition calling for a cut in public servants’ benefits and pensions, are creating their own party to run for the parliamentary elections in May.

The Zygos Independent Citizens Movement – Zygos meaning ancient Greek scales, symbolising balance – is under no illusions of achieving any results in the forthcoming elections. But it hopes to offer food for thought.

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.