‘If we had the same positions right from the start, the problem would have been solved before we began’
PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday continued direct talks on the issue of the legislature.
The UN Secretary-general’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said the two leaders will meet again tomorrow morning and that so far they were “making steady progress” on the issue of governance.
“This is an enormously important negotiation for the people of Cyprus and inevitably it’s going to take time and inevitably the negotiations are going to be difficult negotiations but they are making progress,” he said.
Asked to define what he meant by progress, the UN Special Envoy said: “There are points of convergence in the discussion, and as they reach points of convergence they are able to move on and there are obviously points of divergence as well and it’s the points of divergence that constitute the debate.”
Whether there was more convergence or divergence he would not say although some points of divergence will be discussed by the leaders’ representatives – George Iacovou and Ozdil Nami – on Friday in relation to the legislature.
“As you can imagine for any country governance and power sharing is an enormously important issue. This is a central issue. So it is hardly surprising that it takes a while and I think it is very important to be understanding and tolerant with that frankly. An expectation that you can just suddenly solve all of these problems overnight after so many years is unrealistic,” he said.
Discussions were held on the competencies of the federal government, on the executive, the role of the executive and how the executive was elected, he added.
Speaking to reporters following his seventh face-to-face meeting with Talat, Christofias explained that in a difficult negotiating process there is convergence of views but also differences.
“Consequently, it is no coincidence that we have authorised our aides to meet again on Friday to discuss issues on which final convergence can be reached,” he said.
Asked about the outcome of yesterday’s meeting Christofias said there had been convergence and divergence but like Downer refused to elaborate.
“If we had the same positions right from the start, the problem would have been solved before we began,” he pointed out.
Christofias said: “There must be convergence on the philosophy of the kind of state we want, on how unified, firm and functional this state will be and this is a topic we shall be discussing until the end.”
The president said the two leaders would not necessarily agree on everything before moving on to another chapter.
“Once we conclude the discussions on all the aspects of the Cyprus issue, then we shall go back to see what give and take we can achieve, where and how,” he said.
Meanwhile commenting on the negotiating process yesterday, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said it was encouraging that negotiations were much better than in the past.
“The negotiation process has been, I think, encouraging. Both leaders have demonstrated very strong political will to resolve this long standing – four decade -issue through dialogue and a mutually acceptable formula. This is encouraging,” he said.
House president Marios Garoyian had a different take on the issue.
According to him only after a change in the positions of the as yet intransigent Turkish side could there be progress at the negotiations.
“Things are not encouraging, not because of the stance of the Greek Cypriot side but because the Turkish side continues to follow an intransigent and sterile stance,” he said.
If this changed there would be “substantive developments in the Cyprus issue”, he said.
Garoyian was speaking to reporters at Larnaca airport before leaving for an official visit to Armenia.
