ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN GREECE, 25-26 FEBRUARY

Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Athens, Greece, from Ankara, Turkey, in the morning of Tuesday, 25 February.

At a press encounter upon arrival, Mr. Annan stressed the urgency to settle the Cyprus issue.  “Postponing again beyond early March amounts to saying no to European Union accession by a united Cyprus”, he said.

The Secretary-General referred to the revision of the United Nations plan as the culmination of the most intensive process of negotiations that has ever occurred on the Cyprus problem.  “My revised plan represents a best effort by the United Nations to help the parties reach an agreement”, he said.  “The rest is up to them, to Greece and Turkey, and ultimately, to the people on both sides”, he added.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General attended a signing ceremony of the Olympic Truce in the presence of Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, with whom the Secretary-General also held a one-on-one meeting.  The Olympic Truce was endorsed in the Millennium Declaration, which calls on Member States to stop all wars and conflicts while the Olympics are being played.  The Secretary-General said that the brief moments when the guns fall silent for the Olympic Truce provide an important opportunity for United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian workers to do their work.

On Tuesday evening, the Secretary-General held a meeting with Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece, at which Foreign Minister Papandreou was also present.  The Secretary-General explained to them the plan he intended to submit to the parties.  Their discussions also touched on Iraq.  Afterwards, at a press encounter, the Secretary-General noted the unique opportunity for a united Cyprus to be brought into the European Union, saying, “It is an opportunity and a window that is not going to remain open forever”.  Asked whether the revised plan would be balanced, the Secretary-General said it would, adding, “This is a zero-sum game, and we will keep it balanced”.

Mr. Annan then attended a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister in his honour.

On Wednesday morning, 26 February, the Secretary-General first met with Constantinos Karamanlis, Leader of the New Democracy Party.  They exchanged views on the revised plan for settlement of the Cyprus issue and the Secretary-General stressed the importance of the time frame.

Afterwards, he held a meeting with Constantine Stephanopoulos, the President of Greece, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister George Papandreou.  They discussed the Secretary-General’s efforts to bring closure to the negotiations on a Cyprus settlement.

The Secretary-General then departed to the airport where he held a very brief tète-a-tète with Foreign Minister Papandreou before departing to Cyprus.