Greek Press

ALITHIA: “Americans expecting solution from Switzerland” The daily reported that the Americans, who are hugely involved behind the scenes, were expecting a solution of the Cyprus problem in Switzerland. The US are expecting an agreement to result from the negotiations, which will be put to the referenda before May1, so that a united Cyprus joins the European Union, the daily said. According to a state department spokesman, the US strongly supports the UN effort and expects the parties to work towards a solution.

HARAVGHI: “USA Turkey horse-trading behind our backs” Haravghi commented that give and take in Switzerland was not conducted at the negotiating table but backstage between Turkey and the US, which is trying to satisfy two main Turkish demands: to secure permanent derogations from the acquis communautaire and guarantee Ankara a date for the start of accession negotiations, the daily said.

SIMERINI: “Quadripartite…frozen” The hard-line daily reported that UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto on Wednesday tabled the Turkish side’s red line. The action resulted in cooling the climate even more and a scheduled meeting between the two sides was cancelled. President Tassos Papadopoulos considers the Turkish positions unacceptable and outside the parameters of the UN peace plan. De Soto’s paper was based on a document tabled by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash on March 18.

MACHI: “Start with deadlock” Reporting on the Cyprus talks, Machi commented that UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto did not even manage to get the four sides together for a photo opportunity in order at least to give the impression that something is moving in Switzerland. The Greek government, through Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis, pointed out to De Soto that the talks were not a quadripartite meeting and that Greece recognised its assisting role and would exercise it but not in the manner the UN wanted.

POLITIS: “Only the dinner was quadripartite” The daily described the first day of the Switzerland talks as a diplomatic thriller with no meeting between the sides apart from a dinner following an invitation from Alvaro de Soto. The acceptance of the invitation by all parties is important as a mini-crisis was averted in the nick of time during the day. Things got difficult when Greece suggested that a quadripartite meeting would be premature at this stage, leaving open a possibility of it being held on Sunday.

PHILELEFTHEROS: “Annan sets up hard poker” Alvaro de Soto is keeping the procedure together until Saturday when UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan arrives in Switzerland, the daily said. Annan appears determined to move ahead with the procedure and despite the obstacles he will involve everyone in a hard round of poker. According to the daily’s information, Annan will submit his fourth and final version of the peace plan and ask the parties to position themselves and if possible agree.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.