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Friday, 29 November 2024
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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-04-17Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>News UpdateThursday, 17/04/97CONTENTS[01] Everything is on the table in talksPresident Clerides said yesterday that the Ghali Set of Ideas on the Cyprus problem are on the negotiating table, but this does not mean they will constitute the basis for negotiations."Everything is on the negotiating table, but that does not mean that discussions will be conducted on the basis of the 1992 UN Set of Ideas," he said. Speaking after a meeting with UN envoy Gustave Feissel in the framework of proximity talks on the Cyprus problem between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides, President Clerides said there might be some useful elements within the Set of Ideas, which were drawn up by the former UN Secretary-general in the search for an overall settlement, but noted "there are elements in these ideas which we have not accepted." Mr Feissel also said that "all the elements for a settlement are on the table," including the High Level Agreements, the Set of Ideas, UN resolutions and "various things that have been discussed between the two leaders." President Clerides added, however, that no common ground had been found so far during the proximity talks on substantive issues like security, territorial adjustments and displaced persons, adding that it was too early to determine whether there they were any closer to direct negotiations. [02] UN has presented two new documents, Spokesman revealsGovernment Spokesman Manolis Christofides, revealed yesterday that the UN had presented to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides two written documents on the content of the proximity talks conducted so far."One of them relates to good will gestures, and the other to the positions on certain basic aspects of the Cyprus problem," Christofides said. He described the documents as a kind of "summary of what has been examined during the proximity talks." The spokesman also said the National Council would meet next week to discuss developments. [03] Improved Greco-Turkish ties will contribute to Cyprus peace effortCyprus' Foreign Minister, Yiannakis Cassoulides, who is in Malta attending the Second Euro Mediterranean Conference which ended yesterday, described a meeting between Greece's Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs George Papandreou and Turkey's Under-Secretary Onur Oymen on the sidelines of the conference as "a positive step".The meeting, attended by the President of the European Union Council, Dutch Minister Hans van Mierlo, was hailed as a breakthrough in the two countries' dispute over the Aegean islet of Imia and is believed will lead to further progress in the near future as well as contribute to efforts to settle the Cyprus problem. "There is no doubt that any improvement in relations between Greece and Turkey will reflect on the atmosphere in which we will handle the negotiations for a solution of the Cyprus problem", Mr Cassoulides said, and expressed the hope that similar progress can be achieved soon with regard to Cyprus. "Obviously, any progress in the Cyprus question will help a great deal problems which have been around for years between Greece and Turkey relating to the Aegean," Cassoulides said. However, he did not think that the Cyprus peace effort would take second place among Greece's priority list of problems, and expressed the belief "that the Cyprus problem remains the top national issue for Greece". Replying to a comment that there are attempts to connect Cyprus' application to join the European Union to those of Central and Eastern European countries, Cassoulides said this does not bother Cyprus. "We hope that we will be able, to fulfil what has always been described as a necessity, that EU enlargement takes place not only in Central and Eastern Europe or towards the north but towards the south and the Mediterranean, where Cyprus is", the Minister pointed out. He described Cyprus' participation in the Malta Conference as important, because it provided an opportunity to prove repeated declarations concerning the island's ambition to become a bridge between Europe and the Middle East when it joins the EU. [04] UN envoy leaves CyprusThe UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus, Han Sung-Joo left Cyprus yesterday after a short visit during which he had separate meetings with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in the context of proximity talks on the Cyprus problem.Before leaving the island the UN diplomat, who has resigned from his post of the UN Special Representative for Cyprus, said: "I feel privileged to have been associated with Cyprus". He described his work here as "difficult" but "challenging". He added: "I see there is a good possibility of direct talks between leaders of the two communities and I hope they will come to good results." From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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