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.
“Based on discussions today, it is clear that the two leaders worked to move closer together through a range of bridging proposals, notably in the chapters of Economy, EU matters, and Governance and Power-Sharing. Nonetheless, more work must be done to reach further convergences on the outstanding core issues,” Ban said.
The UNSG said a number of elements have been identified that are designed to maintain momentum and to address more directly the details of a workable, mutually beneficial solution.
“The meeting’s spirited and substantive discussions contributed to clearing the air on several key issues,” Ban said.
Christofias and Eroglu discussed outstanding key issues in a more interrelated fashion, “since a settlement proposal will need to consist of an integrated package across chapters,” the UN boss said.
Ban added that he encouraged the two sides to talk to experts on the technical aspects of the property issue that the UN can make available.
Ban said the two sides agreed to intensify the negotiations and he has made himself available again soon to continue to take stock of progress and encourage the parties in further narrowing the differences.
“As recent surveys have shown, both communities in Cyprus want more than talks: they want a solution. The leaders have heard that message and they are acting. I welcome the steps that the leaders have taken today which give a clear indication of their commitment to reunifying Cyprus as soon as possible,” Ban said.
At the end of February, Ban will be filing a report to the UN Security Council on the state of the talks.
“I will closely follow the efforts of the leaders in the coming weeks as they reach further convergences across all chapters,” the UNSG said. “I am certain that if the constructive spirit that I witnessed today continues, I will have a positive report to submit.”
Ban did not take any questions citing the sensitivity of the process and the two sides have cancelled separate news conferences for the same reason.
Both sides appeared satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
“The essence is that the effort to achieve a solution continues through a bicommunal dialogue, without timeframes and arbitration,” government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told state broadcaster CyBC.
The Greek Cypriots vehemently reject any form of timeframes and arbitration in the process.
Regarding Ban’s comment that key issues were discussed in a more interrelated fashion, Stefanou said linking chapters was something the Greek Cypriot side has been pushing for.
“Linking issues, which are logically interrelated will help efforts to achieve convergences,” the spokesman said.
The Greek Cypriots have proposed to discuss property, territory and the Turkish settlers issue together as a way to make things easier.
“For example (discussing) readjustments in territory can help because when communities know these readjustments, the problem of property will become smaller,” Stefanou said.
He stressed that the UN’s offer of expertise on the property matter by no means meant mediation or some form of arbitration and it was up to the two communities to decide whether they want and how to utilise these experts.
In Ankara, Turkish diplomatic sources described the meeting as positive, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side had displayed a constructive attitude.
Quoting the unnamed sources, Anadolu news agency said the Turkish Cypriots had made constructive proposals and offered a road map.
The same sources said Christofias seemed to be “playing for time.”
In Nicosia, opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades declined comment pending a full briefing from Christofias, while ruling AKEL’s reaction targeted domestic critics.
“Unfortunately for the fear mongers, none of the evils they had forecasted have been confirmed,” AKEL spokesman Stavros Evagorou said, referring to suggestions that there would be an attempt to impose timeframes and arbitration during the meeting.
Government partners DIKO said the UNSG apparently saw that the proposals tabled by the Turkish side could not yield the expected progress.
Based on this, if the UNSG and the UN in general do not tackle Turkish arrogance and intransigence decisively, the direct talks will go nowhere.
EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou called for a change in strategy.
He said avoiding negative developments – of they were indeed avoided — does not constitute success.
“The Geneva meeting confirms that to succeed we need to change strategy,” Omirou said.
