ACTIVITIES OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN SWITZERLAND, 4-6 JULY

On Tuesday, 4 July, the Secretary-General flew to Geneva, where he met in the late afternoon with his Special Envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt.

The following morning, the Secretary-General met with His Excellency Glafkos Clerides and then with His Excellency Rauf Denktash to resume proximity talks on Cyprus that began in December 1999. The meetings lasted about an hour each, and began with a tête-à-tête followed by attendance by the full delegations. He later gave a press conference.

His Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, also participated in Wednesday’s meetings, and would continue to chair them after the Secretary- General left Geneva.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Mr. de Soto told journalists that, while earlier sessions of the talks had tackled the core issues, the negotiating process had not begun. He hoped this latest session would see the beginning of negotiations. On the role of the United Nations as mediator, he said, “We see our role as more than a conveyer belt or potted plant. We will help as much as possible.”

In the margins of the Cyprus talks, the Secretary-General met with Kamel Morjane, his Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On Thursday, 6 July, the Secretary-General flew to Ghana for a few days’ rest before attending the summit of the Organization of African Unity in neighbouring Togo.