Greek and Turkish Cypriots to start technical talks

After a long period of silence, the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, Tassos Papadopoulos and Mehmet Ali Talat respectively, have agreed to start bicommunal discussions on a series of technical issues.

The news came just after the meeting in Paris on Tuesday between President Tassos Papadopoulos and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

According to a joint statement issued by the two men after the meeting, the two agreed that the resumption of negotiations must be timely and based on careful preparation.

“The Secretary General was pleased to note that the leaders of both communities have agreed that bicommunal discussions on a series of issues, agreement on which is needed for the benefit of all Cypriots, will be undertaken at the technical level,” it said.

Talat, who is recovering from an operation, was said to be in agreement with the proposals.

Annan and Papadopoulos also agreed that it would be desirable to have progress on “further disengagement of forces and demilitarisation of the island, on the complete de-mining of Cyprus and on the issue of Famagusta.”

The Secretary General and President Papadopoulos agreed to continue their ongoing dialogue “with the expressed aim at accelerating the search for a comprehensive, fair and mutually acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem.”