What did I say.
IACOVOU - LEDRA STREET
Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou has said that due to an issue
brought up by the Turkish side the opening of a crossing point at Ledra
street, at the centre of Nicosia, has not moved ahead.
Asked after a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leaders aid Ozdil Nami why
the UN demining team had not entered Ledra street to begin work,
Iacovou said he had raised this issue during the meeting.
I have said in the past that certain issues sometimes come up and do
not allow us to get results. Something like that has obviously
happened. He (Nami) promised that this issue will be overcome, he
added.
Asked if the Turkish side has reneged on the issue of the demarcation
of the buffer zone, Iacovou said he could not comment on this.
"Agamemnon" <agamemnon@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:JsadnVyTk8GxgXnanZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> So lets list what people were expecting or wanted to see and what
actually
> happened.
>
> What was expected was an agreement to immediately reopen Ledra Street
the
> very same day. No agreement was made to that effect. Instead the leaders
> advisers will discuss it further, just like they've been doing for
nearly
> 2 years.
>
> What was also expected was a statement saying that the agendas of the
> working groups and technical committees had finally been agreed and that
> these groups and committees would start operating immediately the very
> same day. Instead the leaders advisers will discuss it further, just
like
> they've been doing for nearly 2 years.
>
> As for the press conference, the foreign media behaved with no respect
> whatsoever to either leader and their behaviour was insulting and
> patronising. They were like a pack of heckling dogs and the leaders
should
> have refused to speak to them unless they stopped shouting, stated their
> name, who they worked for and put their questions to the leaders one by
> one.
>
> The reaction from the US and UK was a repetition of their usual
hypocrisy
> welcoming the outcome of a meeting which produced nothing new and made
no
> progress whatsoever just like Tassos Papadopoulos predicated.
>
> The statement below is exactly the same as the one made two years ago.
The
> leaders advisers are already meeting every other week in order to decide
> the agendas of the working groups and technical committees, but nothing
> happens because the Turks refuse to agree to the setting up of technical
> committees to discuss substantive issues unless the Annan plan is
brought
> back as the basis of a solution contrary to what they agreed to in the
> July 8th Agreement (which was on the basis of UN resolutions and the
High
> Level Agreements, the EU Aquis and international law) and contrary to
the
> terms of the Annan plan itself which rendered it null and void. For two
> years they have been saying they will reopen Ledra Street as soon as
> technically possible but the operation of the crossing is made
impossible
> because the Turks refuse to withdraw their troops for them as demanded
by
> the UN. And as for meeting in three months to review progress. They last
> met 6 months ago and because no progress had been made and there were no
> results thanks to the Turks refusal to set up technical committees,
> full-fledged negotiations could not begin.
>
>
>
> Statement of the two community leaders - Full text
>
> 21/03/2008
>
>
> The UN Special Representative of the Secretary General and Chief of
> Mission of UNFICYP Michael Moller read the following statement of the
> leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities in
> Cyprus, following their meeting today.
>
> The full text of the statement is as follows:
>
> "I am very pleased to announce the following on behalf of the two
leaders.
>
> The leaders met today in a very positive and cordial atmosphere and
> exchanged views on a number of issues, achieving a great degree of
> convergence. They have decided to ask their respective advisers to meet
> this coming week in order to set up a number of working groups and
> technical committees, establish their agendas, and to do so in the most
> expeditious way possible.
>
> In taking full responsibility for the conduct of future negotiations,
the
> leaders have also agreed to meet three months from now to review the
work
> of the working groups and technical committees, and using their results,
> to start full-fledged negotiations under the auspices of the
> Secretary-General of the United Nations.
>
> The leaders have also agreed to meet as and when needed prior to the
> commencement of their formal negotiations.
>
> The leaders have also agreed that Ledra Street will, as soon as
> technically possible, open and function in accordance with the
established
> practices at other crossings.
>
> The issue of the opening of the Limnitis crossing and other crossings is
> also on the agenda for the coming meetings of their advisers."
>
> http://www.financialmirror.com/more_news.php?id=10389&nt=Politics
>
>
> BRITAIN - STATEMENT
>
> The outcome of the meeting of Cypriot President Demetris Christofias
> and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat is an im****tant first step
> towards negotiations, aiming at Cyprus reunification, British High
> Commissioner in Nicosia Peter Millett has said. Invited by CNA to
> comment on the meeting of the two leaders held in Nicosia Friday
> morning, Millett said in a written statement that he welcomes the
> outcome of the meeting between the two leaders and their agreement to
> launch the procedure of working groups and technical committees
> immediately.
>
> This is an im****tant first step towards negotiations, which we hope,
> will lead to the reunification of the island, British High Commissioner
> said and added: it is a clear demonstration that the two leaders have
> the political will to tackle the issues and work for a solution.
> According to the statement, The opening of Ledra street is also an
> im****tant measure, which will contribute to building trust between the
> two communities.
>
> Finally, the British High Commissioner underlined that the UK stands
> ready to sup****t this process working with the United Nations and
> together with the P5 (five permanent members of the UN Security
> Council).`` A crossing point to and from the islands northern Turkish
> occupied areas is set to open at Ledra street, one of the capitals main
> commercial streets, to facilitate movement of people.
>
>
> USA - STATEMENT
>
> The US has welcomed the outcome of a meeting here earlier today between
> the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities,
> saying it is ready to lend its full sup****t to their efforts to reach a
> negotiated settlement. The embassy of the United States of America in
> Nicosia, in a written statement issued here regarding the meeting of
> President Demetris Christofias with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali
> Talat, refers to a positive outcome.
>
> We welcome the positive outcome of todays meeting between President
> Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, and
> wish them great success in their efforts to reach a comprehensive
> Cyprus settlement under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the
> United Nations, the statement says. The US embassy considers the
> agreement of the leaders to start working group and technical committee
> negotiations for a three-month period and the willingness of the
> leaders to meet as and when needed prior to the commencement of formal
> negotiations as promising developments.
>
> According to the statement, the US embassy also welcomes the imminent
> opening of Ledra street, which it considers as an im****tant step to
> revitalise relations and bring the two communities closer together.
> Furthermore, the US embassy reiterates that as always, we are ready to
> lend our full sup****t for these efforts. A crossing point to and from
> the islands northern Turkish occupied areas is set to open at Ledra
> street, one of the capitals main commercial streets, in the heart of
> the city, following todays announcement by the two leaders.
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