UN hope for leaders’ meeting before end of March

Cypriot Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis pointed out on Monday that in a letter sent by UN Undersecretary General for political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari to the leaders of the two communities, he expresses hope that the leaders would be able to meet before the end of March, as long as the preconditions that would contribute to the meeting’s success would be met.

Asked about remarks by Turkish Cypriot so-called prime minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer about a meeting between Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, Pashiardis said Soyer ”chose to refer to the meeting but failed to mention the preconditions.”

Pashiardis said ”it is a fact that Gambari’s letter mentions a meeting between the leaders of the two communities, of course as long as those preconditions that would strengthen the possibility and prospect of it proving effective prevail.”

”In any case, our side is already ready to contribute effectively to meeting the preconditions for a meeting between the leaders of the two communities, just as the July 8 agreement provides for,” he said.

Asked if the agreement set a date for the meeting, Pashiardis said it did not but ”hopes it will be possible by the end of March.”

President Papadopoulos and Talat agreed on July 8th 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of 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.