Secretary-General congratulates Cypriot leaders on outcome of meeting

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General congratulates the Greek Cypriot leader, Demetris Christofias, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat, on the outcome of their meeting which was hosted by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Michael Møller, on Friday, 21 March 2008.  He warmly welcomes the leaders’ decisions to expeditiously set up a number of working groups and technical committees, and to meet again in three months’ time to review their work and start full-fledged negotiations under United Nations auspices.  Their agreement on the opening of a Ledra Street crossing, as soon as technically possible, is also a positive step forward.

The United Nations stands ready to lend its full support to the Cypriot people in their efforts to reach a settlement.  The mission later this month of Under-Secretary-General [for Political Affairs] B. Lynn Pascoe to Cyprus will help the United Nations to determine how it can be as helpful as possible to this process as it moves forward.

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