UN special envoy starts promiximity talks in Cyprus

LEFKOSA (AA) – United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan’s Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, who has started proximity talks between Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot side as a part of ongoing Cyprus negotiations, will meet with TRNC President Rauf Denktas later in the day.

De Soto, who met with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos earlier in the day, will hold a meeting with Denktas at 7.30 p.m. This would be the second meeting between Denktas and de Soto after proximity talks had been initiated.

After the meeting, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Sir Kieran Prendergast will come to TRNC Presidency at 8.00 p.m. and meet with President Denktas and Turkish delegation attending the negotiations.

Meanwhile, TRNC officials are holding meetings with a busy agenda at the Presidency.

TRNC and Greek Cypriot side started Cyprus negotiations on February 19 to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue till May 1 on the basis of Annan plan.

If sides fail to reach a solution till March 22, a quartet conference will take place among TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece.

U.N. Secretary General Annan will fill in the blanks if participants can’t reach any compromise in quartet meetings, and the text to be formed at the end of all these initiatives will be voted in referenda to be held synchronously in the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides on April 20.

De Soto started to meet with sides in Cyprus separately on Monday by changing the procedure in Cyprus negotiations.

U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Cyprus de Soto is taking up the list which included changes two sides want in Annan plan in his separate meetings with the sides. Thus, he tries to start give-and-take process and progress in the process.