Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

Statement by the Special Adviser of the Secretary General Alexander Downer Following 13 October Meeting

The leaders have, as happened last time, asked me just to make a few comments about the meeting.

The first thing is that the leaders began the meeting with a private discussion, and that lasted for about a quarter of an hour, 20 minutes.


After the private discussion the negotiations resumed on the issue of the executive -- the presidency and the vice-presidency. And that is an ongoing discussion during the course of this week. On Thursday, the representatives and experts will meet under the auspices of the United Nations to continue that discussion at that level. The two leaders will meet again next Wednesday, that is Wednesday week, to continue further the discussion on the issue of the executive as a result of the discussions that will have taken place on Thursday at the level of the representatives and the experts. That’s all I have for you. If you have any questions, I’d happy to answer those.

Reuters: Friday you had said that you had noted progress. We didn’t ask you what you meant by that could you elaborate today?

Alexander Downer: Well, yes, I mean, they’re continuing clearly to discuss the approaches they have to the executive, that is the presidency and the vice-presidency, and how that would work and obviously they come to this with different perspectives and there is a process that is inevitable in all negotiations, a process that must take place to work through the differences. And that’s why the representatives and the experts are meeting during the week to help take that forward. But, first and foremost, the leaders need to understand each other’s position, need to understand them very clearly, they need to understand why they hold those positions. So, naturally, there is an articulation of all of that that has to take place; that’s a necessary and usual part of the process. Here we go to the representatives and the experts meeting during the week on Thursday under the auspices of the United Nations. I think that would be a useful way forward and then next Wednesday the leaders themselves will meet again.

AP: Did they submit any new proposals? You said last time they submitted proposals …?

AD: Well, they’ve been talking about their proposals that they’ve submitted.

Reuters: Do you see a narrowing of the gap?

Well, I think inevitably there is a growing understanding between the two sides of their positions, and as time goes on of course the gaps are going to narrow.

SIGMA (Greek Cypriot TV): Any news on Mr. Christofias’s proposal for the cancellation of the military exercises?

AD: I don’t have anything to say to you publicly on that issue today. But that is a matter that is being given consideration.

AP: When are we going to know?

AD: I’m sure the leaders will have something to say at an appropriate moment.

Reuters: Has that been discussed?

AD: It wasn’t discussed today.

Reuters: Was it discussed on Friday?

AD: No, it wasn’t, that hasn’t been discussed in these particular … [inaudible] that has not been discussed in the context of these particular meetings when the leaders have been together.

NTV (Turkish Cypriot TV): Do they have a common language or not?

AD: Well, they have some common positions and they have of course been negotiated over the last few weeks and there is much that still needs to be negotiated this is an enormous issue that hasn’t been resolved for a very long time. And as I said on Friday, it’s important to give the leaders space here. You cant expect them suddenly to agree on everything on day one and the whole matter be resolved after all these years. It’s going to take a long time and it’s going to be a difficult negotiation, there’s not question of that. But what you have here is the political will, and the political will is very good.

CyBC (Greek Cypriot TV): Will the UN have at any point a more energetic role in the process?

AD: The UN has said all along, and I’ve said myself and on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, that we’ll do anything we can to be helpful. And we’re doing all we can to be helpful and I hope we are being helpful.

Thank you.

UNFICYP

[DT.]

Have none of the journo's picked up on the phrase Presidency and Vice-Presidency? Should we assume that Talat's demands for a council rather than a P and VP have been scrapped and the President's proposal is being adopted?

[Nikitas]

DT, they did not pick up, and that shows the caliber of journalists sent to these stand up meetings. They know how to shove a microphone in the face of the interviewee and not much more. Wait for more analysis when the senior people look at the statement.

It seems that the issue of the council is over.