Ban’s visit ‘to show support for the leaders’

THE UN yesterday officially announced that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would be arriving on the island on Sunday for a two-day visit “to personally show his support” for the efforts of the two leaders,
According to his spokesman, Ban decided to visit the island after speaking with his Special Adviser for Cyprus, Alexander Downer. He will hold discussions with the leaders as well as with Downer, focusing on the state of progress in the talks, and on how best the United Nations can continue to assist their efforts, said the spokesman.  
According to a diplomatic source, Ban’s visit will not be a determining factor in the conclusion of the intensive negotiations between the two leaders, which have been extended to today. Neither is he coming to impose things on the leaders as this would only backfire.
“Maybe he will reassure people about the UN’s role and intention and impress upon those who need it that there is a tremendous interest and great expectation attached to the process. People really want to see movement on this front,” he said.
The UN chief will directly and personally offer any assistance he can give to the two leaders. The diplomat said Ban will ask the leaders: “What can I do to help move this forward?”
Asked whether this could include a request by one side for UN arbitration, he replied: “The Turkish Cypriot side could ask him to arbitrate, and it won’t be the first time, but they are not going to get that.”
Instead, Ban could act as the leaders’ advocate or representative to the international community, including the guarantor powers. “He can marshal support for a solution,” he said.
Asked what could come out of today’s meeting or next Monday’s with the UN chief, the source said the two leaders could announce that they have achieved “some more convergences but not an agreement”. He highlighted that they had to use “very awkward language” to do so.
They are also expected to give an indication of the way forward, whether there’ll be a third round of intensive talks or a continuation of the set pattern up to the ‘elections’ in the north, when there is talk of suspending the talks.
“The intensive phase is a demonstration of how difficult these talks are, in case anybody is under illusion about that. It’s just a long, drawn out process, and that’s how it needs to be, there’s no other way around it,” he said.
In a change of tune from the last few days, the official confirmation of his visit was met warmly by the government and ruling party.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said: “President Demetris Christofias and the government welcome the UNSG Ban Ki-moon to Cyprus,” adding that the Greek Cypriot side hopes to use his presence to promote efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.
AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou accused the media of distorting AKEL’s comments regarding his visit. Kyprianou had told Astra Radio earlier in the week that on the face of it, the talks so far did not warrant a visit by the UN chief, and questioned whether it would yield substantial results.
Yesterday, he highlighted that “the UNSG is always welcome in Cyprus”, saying “AKEL welcomes every effort aimed at pushing forward the process”.
Opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades welcomed the announcement, saying everyone should do the same, “as long as we stick to the basic principles that have been declared over time, that is, that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed (and that) partial agreements are not possible since there are many chapters that have yet to be discussed.”
The fact that one and a half years and six days of intensive talks later, the two leaders were still focused on the governance chapter was “worrying”, he added.
Coalition partner DIKO was still “surprised” by the intended visit, with spokesman Fotis Fotiou repeating the view that Ban’s visit raised a lot of questions “given the lack of progress in the Cyprus problem and the lack of convergences in the direct talks”.
However, according to diplomatic sources, the two leaders are ploughing through “some pretty contentious” issues, which led them to call an extra meeting today.
“It’s a good sign they agreed to extend the talks, to give the representatives the chance to get closer on some points,” said the diplomat.
“They decided to hold intensive talks but there is no instruction manual on how long it should take to reach agreement. If they need more time, they should take it. It’s better than saying after three days ‘let’s leave it at that’,” he added.
Some of the issues they are trudging through include the question of having one or two Flight Information Regions, the external competences of the constituent states and the rights of Turkish nationals living in Cyprus post-solution.