Papadopoulos may meet Talat in October

Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas said on Wednesday that there was a possibility for a new meeting between President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat in October, with the implementation of the 8 July 2006 agreement on the agenda.
Commenting on remarks by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in his annual report to the General Assembly that the July 8 agreement had not yet been implemented, Palmas said ”there is a reserved approach on behalf of the UN.”
”I understand that the UN Secretary General will wait for his meeting with the President of the Republic and possibly with Mr. Talat, so that he has a spherical and clear picture with regards the situation concerning developments in the Cyprus problem, and I think that after the picture he perceives, he will be a bit more specific and clear in his approaches,” Palmas pointed out.
Replying to questions, he said the Greek Cypriot side’s efforts were focusing on creating the conditions for the implementation of the procedure agreed upon on July 8, which could lead to progress in the Cyprus problem.
He added that the effort right now was for a meeting between President Papadopoulos and Talat, in an effort to promote the implementation of the agreement.
”Pressure will be exerted on Turkey and representations will be made to the UN and the EU, in an effort to bring the Turkish Cypriot side, of course with the permission of Turkey, to a discussion aimed at creating conditions for progress,” Palmas noted.
Replying to questions, he said ”we never claimed that Mr. Papadopoulos and Mr. Talat are in a position to solve the Cyprus problem, what we are saying is that any contact can contribute in a positive direction.”
President Papadopoulos and Talat agreed on 8 July 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of UN official Ibrahim 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 of the Cyprus problem.
They met again on 5 September 2007 in the presence of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Michael Moller.