Cyprus leaders start talks on the economy

— Talat disappointed with election results

Discussion on the economy was the focus of Tuesday’s 26th meeting between President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat held within the framework of the direct negotiations that started on September 3.
As the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said after the last meeting on April 10, “for the time being the discussions have concluded on EU matters. There has been a good measure of agreement on many aspects of EU matters”.
The two leaders’ advisors, George Iacovou and Ozdil Nami, are expected to continue discussion o the economy on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in order “to speed things up” according to political observers.
President Christofias said Tuesday's meeting with Mehmet Ali Talat was “good”.
In statements after his meeting with Talat, Christofias said they agreed that their aides would discuss specific issues on which there is convergence of views.
Asked if they had discussed the results of Sunday's elections in the Turkish occupied areas, President Christofias said it was only natural to do so, adding that no one expected Talat to be pleased with the outcome, which gave a clear lead to the hardline National Unity Party of Dervis Eroglu, leaving Talat's Republican Turkish Party in second place.
He added that Talat, as the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, wishes to continue the meetings for a Cyprus settlement, noting that Tuesday’s process continued in the same manner.
Asked if Eroglu, who had declared after his election victory that he would send an observer to the direct talks, had sent a delegate to Tuesday's meeting, President Christofias said he had not.
Invited to say if the result of the elections would speed up the process of the talks, Christofias said “we have agreed on the process and we are proceeding on the basis of this agreement.”
Regarding the discussions on the economy, the President said that in order to assess the situation, the aides of the leaders of the two communities and their teams would first have to meet to discuss the details before the next meeting of May 5.