By Athena Karsera
GREECE and Cyprus are as one on how they will approach a widely anticipated new round of talks to solve the Cyprus problem.
Speaking after meeting Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis in Athens yesterday, President Glafcos Clerides said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan would probably be sending out invitations to talks towards the end of October, but that the format of the invitation remained a mystery.
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash insists he will not attend talks unless he is recognised and addressed as a head of a state.
Clerides yesterday told reporters, “We have reached unanimous conclusions about the way we should handle the issues,” adding he was satisfied with his preparations “to facilitate the start of substantive negotiations in the framework of UN resolutions.”
Simitis said Turkey should comply with UN decisions if it wanted to become part of European society: “Progress on the Cyprus question is what will secure Turkey’s European course.”
He said there was intense international interest in the Cyprus problem and that yesterday talks had confirmed the Greek Cypriot side was ready to enter negotiations in the framework of UN resolutions with good disposition and without preconditions.
“We should not agree to tactics of deviation or postponement or tactics which tend to move any discussions to an unspecified time,” Simitis said.
The Greek Prime Minister said Cyprus’ EU accession was a “strategic goal, a main objective, a national priority because we believe it will not only help Cyprus’ development and ties with the EU and the international community, but also ways to deal effectively with the political problem on the island.”
Simitis said Greece would assist Cyprus in joining the EU and, noting that Cyprus fulfilled the criteria for entry, guarantee its success.
He underlined Greece’s commitment to the joint defence dogma, saying it was the main guideline in dealing with defence issues and that the people of Cyprus should “have a feeling of security that Greece always stands by Cyprus on all counts.”
Clerides added that defence matters were progressing “according to our plans.”
Also present at the talks in Athens yesterday were Foreign Minister Ioannis Cassoulides, his Greek counterpart George Papandreou, alternate Greek foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis, Defence Ministers Socrates Hasikos and Akis Tsohatzopoulos and the government spokesmen of both countries.
