US seeks fresh initiative on Cyprus

New York (CNA) — US Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicolas Burns has stated that now is the time to get the international process on Cyprus rolling again and get some momentum behind this process, adding that the US is “really dedicated to that.”

Burns was speaking after a meeting with Greece’s Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyianni on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The US official is scheduled to meet, Wednesday evening, Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, who is also in New York.

The Cyprus problem was one of the issues discussed between Bakoyianni and Burns, former US ambassador to Athens, who plans to visit Cyprus.

“I am looking forward to my meeting with President Papadopoulos on Wednesday evening and I’ve listened very careful to the advice of the Minister (Bakoyianni) – I always do on this issue. The United States hopes that there can be progress and the United Nations should re-initiate the process for peace in Cyprus as well,” said Burns.

Asked if the US was willing to do something to push forward a UN-brokered agreement on Cyprus, Burns said “that was a positive development and we think that there should be progress on that agreement and if we can be helpful, we certainly will and we also hope that the Secretary-General of the United Nations will restart the momentum towards a UN inspired process for peace in Cyprus.”
“I am looking forward to meeting President Papadopoulos and I am looking forward to visiting Cyprus so that the United States can put its weight behind a solution,” he added.

The US official noted that he had profited from his conversations with Bakoyianni because, as he pointed out, “the Greeks have such a close relationship with Cyprus and I think both of us agreed, the Greek and American Governments, that now it’s the time that the next couple of months to get the international process rolling again and to get some momentum behind this process. And so we are really dedicated to that.”

The Greek Foreign Minister said she had “as always, an interesting and thorough discussion on matters of mutual interest” with Burns.

She said she had the opportunity to express Greece’s views and dedication to the Gambari process on a Cyprus settlement and that this process should move forward very quickly.

The UN agreement, brokered on July 8, of last year, was reached in Nicosia between President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, in the presence of then UN Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari.

The agreement provides for the setting up of technical committees and working groups to deal with day to day issues that affect the daily life of the people of Cyprus and core issues relating to the Cyprus problem, in order to prepare the ground for substantive negotiations leading to a solution, that would reunite the country, divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern part.