SECRETARY-GENERAL INVITES GREEK AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS IN NEW YORK ON 10 FEBRUARY

SECRETARY-GENERAL INVITES GREEK AND TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS

TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS IN NEW YORK ON 10 FEBRUARY

The following statement has issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General wrote today to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders inviting them to come to New York on 10 February 2004 to resume negotiations on the basis of his plan.  The objective of the negotiations would be to put a completed text to referenda in April 2004, in time for a reunited Cyprus to accede to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

The Secretary-General has also written to the Prime Ministers of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom asking them to have representatives on hand in New York on that occasion.

The Secretary-General was moved to take this initiative by his recent, encouraging contacts on the Cyprus question during his trip to Europe and afterwards.  In his letters, the Secretary-General has appealed to the leaders to summon the political will needed to bring about this result in the short time available.  He has also set out what needs to be done for this to happen.

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