PRESS STATEMENT ON CYPRUS BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

PRESS STATEMENT ON CYPRUS BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Following is this afternoon’s statement on Cyprus by Moctar Ouane (Mali), President of the Security Council:

Council members heard a briefing from Alvaro de Soto, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus, today.  Mr. de Soto briefed Council members on the agreement reached by the two leaders on 4 December to begin direct talks in Cyprus, at the invitation of the Secretary-General in the exercise of his mission of good offices.  They also had before them a letter from the Secretary-General dated 7 December, in which he informed them that the talks would begin on

16 January 2001.

Council members welcomed this and other positive developments, and hope that progress will be achieved at the negotiating table resulting in a comprehensive settlement.

Council members gave their full support to the Secretary-General’s mission of good offices, conducted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1250, and encouraged the Secretary-General and his Special Adviser to continue to be of assistance to the parties as appropriate.

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