THE NATIONAL Council will continue its meeting next Wednesday, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday.
“The meeting is being held in a constructive spirit. We agreed to continue on Wednesday the 12th of May at 10 o’clock”, Stefanou said following the conclusion of yesterday’s meeting, during which the political parties expressed their views.
Asked to comment what the public should expect if after the lengthy National Council meeting the parliamentary parties had still not reached a common line, Stefanou said: “First of all let’s not be hasty. The National Council meeting is continuing. Secondly, I’ll say that we don’t have to take a general stand on the issue, if we don’t reach a common line, because that way we might lose the essence of policy.”
He said policy was made up of strategy, goals and tactics and that a similar discussion was held during the four day meeting of the National Council last September which concluded in “some very serious issues regarding the strategy and the aims of the Greek Cypriot policy”.
He said there was also the issue of tactics and that a review and assessment of the negotiations so far was taking place.
“There is a new status quo with the election of Dervis Eroglu to the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community and all these issues are being discussed,” Stefanou said.
Invited to comment on the position expressed by some parliamentary parties to review the strategy of the Greek Cypriot side, the spokesman wondered whether now was the time for the Greek Cypriot side to withdraw its positions and thus “giving Turkey the gift” to withdraw positions or change the procedure.
“We must weigh things very seriously and assess all facts,” he said.
He added that President Demetris Christofias would meet with UN Secretary-general Special Advisor for Cyprus Alexander Downer today.
Regarding the opening of the Limnitis crossing point, on the northwest, linking the remote Pyrgos area to Nicosia, through the Turkish occupied areas, Stefanou said that the agreement reached between the two sides for its opening has to be met.
