US ambassador visits KKTC’s premier

Klosson’s visit followed an earlier one by the British ambassador on the island. Both ambassadors are based in the internationally-recognized Greek section of Cyprus.

Both the United States and Britain are working for lifting the economic isolation of Turkish Cypriots after they voted for a U.N. plan for reunification of their island. The plan failed because of Greek Cypriot rejection.

Talat and Klosson discussed efforts to lift the economic isolation, which would include, among others, direct flights to Turkish Cypriot airports.

Stating that Turkish Cypriots did not deserve isolation, as 65 percent of the Turkish Cypriots voted in favor of an April 24 referendum of the international backed Annan plan for the reunification of the island, Talat noted also that the Turkish side voted for a "reunified Cyprus in the EU."

"We do not lose our vision for a solution. Lifting the restrictions from the Turkish Cypriots can only be a side step for a solution. Turkish Cypriots want reunification of the island. They want equall rights, including equal patnership rights in a united Cyprus," said Talat.

Talat added that he was pleased with Klosson’s visit to the Prime Ministry, drawing attention to the fact that it was the first visit by a U.S. ambassador to the Prime Ministry.

Klosson said that he was totally giving support to those statements of Talat, and added that the Washington administration was still working on a package of measurements related to Turkish Cypriots.

Klosson did not give a date for when the package will be implemented. Indicating the importance of the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot side in reaching a solution, the U.S. ambassador noted that the measures to be taken were going to be announced as soon as assessments were completed in the Washington administration, adding that he saw this visit as a continuation of Talat’s visit to the U.S. at the end of last month.

Stressing that no side in Cyprus had reached the desired end, Klosson noted that he was going to inform Talat about the reconsideration process of the existing U.S. policies on Cyprus.