SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH LEADER OF TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY
Press Release
SG/SM/6507
SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH LEADER OF TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY
19980330 The following statement was issued in Geneva on Saturday, 28 March, by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:The Secretary-General is very glad to have had this meeting with His Excellency Rauf Denktash, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. The Secretary-General thought it important that Mr. Denktash should have an opportunity to express his views directly to him.
Mr. Denktash has given the Secretary-General a full and frank account of his position and concerns. The Secretary-General in turn expressed his disappointment at the outcome of the visit to Nicosia by his Special Adviser, Diego Cordovez, and, in particular, that it was not possible to find a common basis on which to continue the process of negotiations between the leaders of the two communities.
At Mr. Denktash's request, the Secretary-General shall be informing the Security Council of the outcome of their meeting.
The Secretary-General has urged Mr. Denktash to resume the talks within the framework of the good offices mission. The talks between the two leaders are the only framework within which the two communities in Cyprus are treated on the basis of full political equality. The Secretary-General acknowledges Mr. Denktash's concerns. But there is no alternative route to a peaceful settlement based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federal State with full political equality for the two communities.
The Secretary-General intends to ask Mr. Cordovez to continue to explore with the parties ways of establishing fair and effective modalities for the continuation of the talks. He is concerned that, otherwise, there is a real risk that the situation in the area will deteriorate, and that tension will increase.
Meanwhile, he is encouraged that Mr. Denktash has reiterated to him his continued support for his good offices, and his wish for a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem.
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