U.N. SPECIAL Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer yesterday reiterated that the location of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s visits had “no implications whatsoever” on UN policy regarding recognition of the Cyprus Republic.
Regarding the uproar over Ban’s visit to the ‘presidential palace’ of Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on Monday, he said: “The UN recognises the Republic of Cyprus. It has done throughout.
“Nothing that the SG did and nowhere that the SG went during his visit to Cyprus had any bearing on that and had any bearing on UN resolutions. Not at all.”
Speaking after a meeting with DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades, Downer stressed that the really important thing for Cyprus and Cypriots is the negotiations.
“This is the central issue for the future of this country… and the focus needs to be on the continuation of the talks and the negotiation of a solution to the Cyprus problem. That is what is really important,” he said.
The Australian diplomat said the outcome of Ban’s visit was that the two leaders will be meeting again and continuing with the negotiations. “We are very encouraged and pleased by that,” he said.
Downer added that this was “an incredibly important period in the history of these negotiations” and all Cypriots needed “to concentrate on the success of the negotiations and give support to the leaders as they work through the difficult issues”.
The UN has all but acknowledged that Ban was never meant to go to the ‘palace’ in the north, and that there was a change of location at the last minute sprung on them by the Turkish Cypriot side.
“We had arrangements that had been put in place before. Whatever happened with those arrangements, anything that happened had no implications for UN recognition,” said Downer.
The Turkish Cypriots deny any change in plans, saying they had told the UN before the visit that they would simply follow past precedents on where Ban could meet Mehmet Ali Talat.
Anastasiades said that the explanations given by Downer show that the UN was unaware of these arrangements by the Turkish Cypriot side. He also noted that Downer was insistent on the need to use the time until the elections in the north so that the leaders could deal with all pending issues in the negotiations.
President Demetris Christofias is due to brief party leaders on the latest round of intensified negotiations tomorrow at the National Council meeting.
