BRITAIN believes that progress on the Cyprus issue must come through the new round of UN shuttle talks, but optimism is not high.
No immediate breakthroughs are expected, despite the new round of shuttle talks, British and EU special envoy for Cyprus Sir David Hannay said yesterday.
Speaking after an hour-long meeting with President Clerides in London, Sir David said: “I think at the moment it’s a period of quiet diplomacy. I hope our talks will contribute to that.”
Asked to comment on his recent visit to Turkey, Sir David said he did no wish to draw any conclusions from the visit. “It is a very rapidly moving situation in Ankara with the prospect of elections in April,” he said.
Sir David said he had talks with ministers and officials in Ankara. “I was able to cover a wide range of issues,” he said, adding that ways to help the UN shuttle talks were also discussed.
“It is a procedure to which we give our full support,” he said. “We do not anticipate a great and immediate breakthrough in every issue, but we hope that steady progress can be made through it.”
And one of the best ways for Britain to help the effort, being led on the island by UN chief of mission Dame Ann Hercus, is “not to interfere too much,” Sir David said.
“She has got to conduct her conversations with discretion and I hope she will come forward gradually with some ways of making progress in reducing tensions and in laying the foundations for a lasting and just settlement in Cyprus,” Sir David said.
“I do not think we should do anything that cuts across her efforts, and we will not.”
After his London visit, President Clerides is due in Athens for talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Friday.
It is believed the discussion will centre around the deployment of the controversial Russian S-300 missiles, although the President has consistently denied this.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said any results of the meeting would be put before the National Council.
“Nicosia and Athens will examine the national interest of Cyprus and hellenism at large and draw conclusions,” Cassoulides said after a meeting with Acting President Spyros Kyprianou.
Cassoulides did, however, hint that the missiles would be on the Athens agenda.
Reports have been rife that the Greek government would prefer the missiles to be deployed in Crete as Cyprus comes under increasing international pressure to cancel the high risk-deal. Turkey has threatened military action if the missiles are deployed in Cyprus.
Yesterday, Greek government spokesman Demetris Reppas denied reports that Simitis had sent a letter to Clerides concerning the missiles. He said no such letter existed.
