Downer: UN focuses on the substance of the talks
FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE • Wed, Feb 01, 2012
The United Nations is focused on the substance of the Cyprus peace talks, the organisation’s top envoy on Cyprus has said, adding that this is an extraordinarily difficult issue.
Speaking after a meeting here today with President Demetris Christofias, Alexander Downer said it was very constructive, adding that “we are looking at how to move the process forward from here”.
Invited to comment on remarks by Greek Cypriot parties which consider him as persona non grata, he noted that it was not appropriate to get involved in politics or political debate. “I can see that they are particularly picking up on some comments at a press conference at Greentree. I made it clear to anybody who is interested that obviously the United Nations fully recognizes the Republic of Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus will hold the Presidency of the European Union for the second six months of this year. There is no question of that.”
Downer came under severe criticism for saying that the Greek Cypriots instead of the Republic of Cyprus – a fully fledged EU member since 2044 - will hold the six monthly rotating presidency of the EU Council, in the second half of 2012.
“We obviously have to deal in the context of where the talks are taking place at Greentree, with the circumstances of the time, but there shouldn’t be any confusion about the United Nations position including my own position that we fully recognize the Republic of Cyprus, not just that, but as the incoming President of the EU. So there is no question of that. I see there is some controversy about that. I wouldn’t want to comment beyond that but just to make that absolutely clear so there is no confusion about that,” Downer explained.
Asked to comment on party statements that he is objective, Donwer said that “the UN is focused on substance of the negotiations and I think the really important thing here is that we, all of us, the people of Cyprus, be they Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots, and certainly the leaders and the UN focus on the substance of these negotiations.”
“I have no comment to make about the politics and to be honest with you I can do nothing about the politics. I am not a party to the politics here. But I can make this point: The task here is to try and find a way of reuniting a divided Cyprus and there is a formula for doing that which the Security Council has laid down and we have come from different parts of the world, me from the other side of the world, to try to help the Cypriots achieve that outcome.”
Downer noted that “of all the issues I’ve been involved in over the years, as a FM (of Australia) for nearly 12 years included, I haven’t come across many issues which are more difficult than this. All of my predecessors in this job have found the same thing of course. This is an extraordinarily difficult issue and of course inevitably people have their own opinions and so on, but the thing is if you want to reunite Cyprus you have to think about the substance of the issues, how are we going to make an agreement on government, how are we going to make an agreement on property, on territorial adjustment, the economy, EU matters, security.”
These, he added, “are the very heart of this issue and the most productive debate here is a debate about how best to make those agreements and to make them to the satisfaction of the people of Cyprus, be they Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots.”
Asked if the sides have exchanged figures on the property issue as the Secretary General had asked them to do, Downer said they have one week to do that. “They have been providing some of the figures, they haven’t provided them all yet, and I met with the Turkish Cypriots yesterday and they they’ve shown me they are going to provide more figures in the next week,” he noted.
Asked when the leaders will meet again in Cyprus, Downer said “that won’t be very far away.”
— Copyright © Famagusta Gazette 2012
What a cop out a difficult issue. There is no difficulty in the issue Mr Downer, we have a small minority who with the help of Turkey with its own agenda and pretext are occupying illegally and the UN has recognised this other people's property and are denying 1 million majority freedom of movement and property rights in their own Country.
Mr Downer the UN has taken out resolutions recognising that Turkey and the Turkish speaking Cypriot leadership are violating the human rights of the majority of the Republic of Cyprus.
Perhaps to end the stalemate someone needs the balls to tell them, there will be no recognition of the occupied teritory being recognised as anything different that land that belongs to the RoC.
You can also take action against Turkey just like you have taken in Kuwait and Iraq and Afghanistan to free Cyprus from the tyrany of Turks.
