press conference by president of cyprus

 

Resolution of the Cyprus problem still hinged on the end of the island’s occupation by Turkish troops and the acceptance by all parties of a unified State solution, Tassos Papadopoulos, President of Cyprus, said in a press conference at Headquarters this afternoon.  Mr. Papadopoulos met with the press after speaking before the General Assembly earlier in the day.

In discussions with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan about how to proceed on the Cyprus problem, Mr. Papadopoulos said the necessity of involving the European Union was raised.  That was particularly necessary since Cyprus became a member of the Union in May 2004.  The Secretary-General said he would continue to work on the problem.

But, he continued, there was agreement that it was not worth resuming talks with the two main parties unless there was reason to believe progress could be made.  “It is not in anyone’s interest to have another failure”, Mr. Papadopoulos said.

Asked if negotiations could resume on a solution involving some troops remaining on the island and then being phased out gradually, the President said the occupation should not continue after the compromises Cyprus had already made.  The powers of the occupiers and their numbers were an issue.

In response to another question, Mr. Papadopoulos said no timetable had been set on renewed talks and that it was very important that talks progressed on a schedule dictated by the negotiations themselves, and not by external events, such as Cyprus’s joining the European Union, as they had been in the past.

He said that despite Cyprus’s “no” vote on the Annan plan for the resolution of the Cyprus conflict, the Secretary-General had continued to work on the problem.  His willingness to meet with the President during the past week was not influenced by Cyprus’s membership in the European Union.  The Secretary-General’s continued involvement was based on his realization that Cyprus was still committed to finding a solution and on an understanding of the basis for Cyprus’s rejection of the plan.

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For information media • not an official record