Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

President Mehmet Ali Talat has announced that the second chapter of full-fledged negotiations- the issue of property- has been closed.

`We have agreed, in principle, on the establishment of a property board and we will exchange views on how to speed up the establishment of the mechanism` he said.

Further discussions on the property issue have been referred to the leaders’ special representatives Ozdil Nami and Yorgos Yakovou.

Evaluating today’s round on his return to the Presidential Palace, the President said the two sides held discussions on the Turkish Cypriot proposals regarding the establishment of a Property Board.

The proposals were presented during last week’s meeting.

The President said he doesn’t expect to see huge gaps between the two sides when it comes to reaching an agreement over the Property Board.

Talat explained that the Property Board will act as a mechanism to settle property disputes through the agreed criteria of ‘compensation, restitution and exchange’, also noting that the states will not have a decisive position on the decision-making process.

However Talat added that there were some differing views between the two sides on to whom the authority in taking the final decision should be given.

`The Greek Cypriot side wants the former owner of the property to make the final decision while we prefer the property board and other related commissions` he said.

Meanwhile, a new chapter at the negotiations is to be opened next week, on the 11th March, when the two leaders will start to discuss EU matters.

On this issue, Mr Talat said the organization of EU discussions and issues to top the first meeting’s agenda will be determined by special representatives.

Stating that Nami and Yakovu will also come together on the 12th March, Talat said this meeting will be based on discussions regarding the implementation of outcomes reached over confidence-building measures and the work of technical committees.

Speaking at the end of today’s meeting, the UN Special Representative to Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun said a broad and substantive discussion was made on the property issue, while responding to a question whether the two sides made any progress in narrowing the gap between their positions.

It has also been announced that the UN Special Advisor on Cyprus Alexander Downer will arrive in Cyprus on the 10th March to attend next weeks’ meeting.

[bill cobbett]

The EU Accession Treaty was negotiated and signed four or five years ago. WTF is there for Pres X and Mr T to negotiate? What a pair of plonkers!

[DT.]

thats when they go through the acquis and start ticking off all of Talats previous chapters as invalid within the EU.

[bill cobbett]

thats when they go through the acquis and start ticking off all of Talats previous chapters as invalid within the EU.

That's a lot of ticks.