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Transcript of Remarks by Special Adviser of the Secretary-General Alexander Downer following 3 June Meeting

Ladies and gentlemen, very, very briefly I just wanted to say that the leaders discussed the economy and the Limnitis issue in the tête-à-tête session, and had further discussions in the open session as well on the economy. They have decided that next week -- and they will meet next Thursday -- they would like to talk a little more about the economy, also the Limnitis question; next week they will begin discussion on the issue of territory. That is pretty much all I had to say so if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.

Question: So, next Thursday they will discuss the economy and Limnitis and territory?

Answer: That’s right. They will begin a discussion on territory.

Question: Has there been any progress regarding Limnitis?

Answer: I don’t think I choose to comment on that. That is something you can raise with the leaders themselves. It is obviously an on-going discussion, and those discussions are continuing.

Question: Mr. Downer, are you working on a settlement blueprint for Cyprus? It has been reported in the Greek Cypriot press.

Answer: No, I am not. I think it is a story that might have come from a Turkish newspaper. As I have explained all along the role of the United Nations is to do what it can to help the two sides. But the United Nations isn’t in the game of writing blueprints. It is for the leaders to negotiate ultimately a comprehensive settlement, not for the United Nations to write blueprints. We have said that right from the beginning and that continues to be the case.

Question: [Inaudible]

Answer: Well, I have been a politician for many years and I am used to people putting words into my mouth. But you can take it from me that I don’t have any model that I think should be imposed on Cyprus. I am not promoting any particular model privately or publicly. We do what we can to help with the process. The United Nations doesn’t have a position on the treaty of guarantee and doesn’t have a position on troops and those sorts of questions and more than that the leaders have not even begun discussing those security issues. But these are matters not for the United Nations; these are matters for Cyprus. And when it comes to the Treaty of Guarantee, of course, for the relevant nations involved in it. We would just leave those negotiations to take their natural course and help with the negotiations as best we possibly can. But I don’t have any position on those things at all and any suggestion that I do have is completely untrue.

Question: Have you ever expressed any misgivings about the way your work is being portrayed in the local media?

Answer: No, I haven’t. I have a view that I have formed over many years as a foreign minister, as a member of the Australian cabinet and somebody who has dealt with the media over many years. You just take it as it comes - I am not too sensitive to anything in the media. I think on the whole media does a good job here, they put forward different points of view and debate, and that’s the role of the media. I have no problems with them.

Thank you.


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