Cyprus-Forum.com

[halil]

The United Nations Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer, who is in New York to make evaluations on course of the Cyprus negotiations, has issued a detailed statement about the process. “There is a great possibility that the talks will resume in May, but first, I have to meet with the two leaders” Downer said during the daily press briefing of the UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky at the UN Headquarters in New York yesterday.

The UN Envoy stated that he would be meeting with UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon, high level UN officials, five permanent members of the UN Security Council and representatives of the sides concerned, adding that there is a good opportunity to make an evaluation on course of the Cyprus negotiations.

Pointing out that Derviş Eroğlu has been elected as the TRNC President, the Envoy said both he and the UN Secretary General had spoken to Eroğlu and Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu after the elections.

Downer said both he and the UN Chief looked forward to a continuation of the negotiations under United Nations auspices, the relevant Security Council resolutions and on the basis of the agreements signed between the two sides on the 23rd of May and the 1st of July in 2008.

“There is obviously now a change in the leadership on one of the sides. We don’t want to see that leading to a slowing in the momentum, and we don’t want to see the whole process start, of course, all over again when so much has been achieved over the past 18 or so months”, he said.

Responding to a question, Downer said “this is not an infinite process”, adding that the two sides had recommitted to establishing a bizonal and bicommunal federation with political equality and a single international personality.

He also added that he would be meeting with the two leaders upon his return to the island next week to report on his discussions in New York and to discuss the date for their first meeting.

Acknowledging that the negotiations were complex, Downer noted that while the parties had already agreed on many difficult issues, some challenging issues lay ahead.