A slip of the tongue or a taste of things to come?
"UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in Brussels on Wednesday on his first overseas visit since assuming his duties as new UN Chief, referred to the existence of “two countries” in Cyprus as he urged for the implementation of the July 8 agreement between the leaders of the two communities on the island.
In his remarks during a joint press conference with President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso, the UN SG said he will encourage the two leaders on the island to implement the agreement.
Invited to say if he intends to undertake an initiative for a Cyprus settlement, Ban replied that there was “a continued effort by the UN” including an effort by his predecessor Kofi Annan who put forward his proposals in 2004.
“Unfortunately this proposal was not accepted by the two parties”, the new UN chief said, adding that last year Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari “met the leaders of the two sides” and that there was “an agreement between the two leaders. It is important that the leaders and the two countries should implement this July agreement which was agreed last year”, he remarked.
Ban also said he will “ensure to encourage them as well as to ensure the implementation of this agreement which had been agreed between the two leaders. It is very important to implement what was agreed”, he concluded.
Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat agreed on July 8th 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of UN Undersecretary General for political affairs Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day to day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem."
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