TALKS between the leaders of the divided Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have yielded little progress, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said yesterday, and just maintaining the momentum was no longer enough, he said.
He was speaking after two days of talks at Greentree in New York with President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, which he conceded had achieved “limited progress” on outstanding issues despite “robust and intensive discussions.”
Ban told journalists he would report to the UN Security Council at the end of February on how the negotiations were progressing and at the end of March would seek a review of the process from the chief UN mediator, Alexander Downer, which could lead to the calling of an multilateral conference.
“If his report is positive … following consultations with the two sides, I intend to call a multilateral conference in late April or early May,” Ban said.
The United Nations has been talking for some time about such a conference – which is backed by the Turkish side – involving Greece, Turkey and Britain, as well as the Cypriot parties.
But the Greek Cypriots side want all internal issues relating to a settlement to be resolved before they will attend any such conference.
While the Turkish Cypriot side came away from Greentree pleased at the notion of a multilateral conference, Christofias told a press conference in New York: “A timetable for a multilateral conference is not acceptable and will not be accepted.”
“The Secretary General expresses intentions in his statement, but under specific prerequisites,” Christofias added. This would be that significant progress would be achieved “which will meet with our approval and which Downer will report on”.
Christofias, who said he was leaving Greentree “not satisfied” also said that the UN chief would consult the Greek Cypriot side on whether progress existed, and on whether or not a conference would be convened.
The only other development at Greentree was a proposal by Ban that the two leaders complete the exchange of data on property within the next two weeks “to which they agreed.”
Christofias commented later: “If the fact that there has been agreement for exchange of information can be considered progress, then let us call it progress.”
Ban said the two sides had gone to Greentree with three main challenges to resolve: the election of the executive, property and citizenship.
“I asked the leaders to use this time to make decisive moves,” Ban told reporters at the end of the summit. “At this stage of the talks, to maintain the momentum and continue negotiations, even in an intensive manner, is not enough,” he added.
The UN chief reiterated that the process was Cypriot-owned and the international organisation was not there to impose a solution.
Downer was scheduled to brief the UN Security Council on the developments while Ban said he would be handing over his report to the Council at the end of February.
“The United Nations remains convinced that it is in the interest of all Cypriots to reach a durable settlement,” he said.
Speaking during a news conference later in the day, Ban avoided answering a direct question as to whether or not he was disappointed with Greentree, and cited the confidentiality of the process when quizzed on what had transpired during the meetings.
“We have come quite close but we still have what we call the core issues,” he said, referring to the rotating presidency, property and citizenship specifically.
He urged the two leaders to engage in some give and take and to make ‘bold, decisive moves’ towards that end. “We still have far to go. But we will spare no effort,” he added.
Asked about the ‘ongoing isolation of the Turkish Cypriots’, Ban acknowledged the difficulties but he said the sooner the sides agreed the sooner they could enjoy the benefits of a solution.
Meanwhile the political parties were wringing their hands over the idea of a multilateral conference and the fact that it was in Downer’s hands to decide whether there was enough progress for such a move.
“UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s statements have confirmed our worst fears,” said EDEK chief Yiannakis Omirou who said the talks had ended with suffocating timeframes, the possibility of an multilateral conference without agreement on certain issues, with the removal of property from direct talks, and an upgrade of Downer’s role.
“The results of the New York meeting are disappointing and a cause for worry,” said DISY spokesman Haris Georgiades, adding that the dilemmas that the party warned of, had become much stronger as well as dangerous.
Against this backdrop, the President’s insistence on dealing with our national issue by himself, without a reliable plan, must stop immediately, said Georgiades.
DIKO head Marios Garoyian said: “DIKO is deeply concerned as Greentree has created suffocating timeframes and procedures.”
