Cyprus leaders make progress in governance issue

President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have made advances in their discussions on the chapter of governance, said here Tuesday UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun.

He was speaking at the end of the 11th meeting of the two leaders, in the framework of the direct negotiations, which began early September, under UN auspices, with a view to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem.

“The leaders had a good and friendly meeting, in a friendly atmosphere. They began with an hour of tete-a-tete and then they resumed the discussions on governance, focusing this time on the federal public service on which they identified a number of convergences, helped by bridging proposals from both sides”, Zerihoun said.

The UN Special Representative said the two leaders “have called on their representatives to meet and Iacovou and Nami will meet tomorrow afternoon to carry forward discussions on some aspects of governance which have been referred to them by the leaders.”

“We expect further meetings of the representatives before the leaders meet again on the 16th of December when they will take up the issue of external relations”, Zerihoun said, adding that Special Adviser Alexander Downer will arrive on the island on the 11th December.

Asked when the chapter of property will be discussed, Zerihoun said “we will have a better idea after the next meeting”.

To a question if the chapter of governance will close with progress, Zerihoun replied “they have made advances in the discussions; they have not agreed on every issue, they have left some issues aside to be revisited, they have asked their representatives to take up some of these issues”.

The two leaders have been meeting since early September to find a mutually agreed solution that will reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.