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UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, Alexander Downer, has said that the leaders of the island’s two communities discussed Wednesday the chapter of economy and the Limnitis issue, (relating to efforts to open a crossing point to and from the northern Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus to facilitate movement).
In statements after the leaders’ 31st meeting, which took place in the framework of direct negotiations for a solution, under UN auspices, Downer said that the leaders, Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat will begin discussing the issue of territory during their next meeting to take place June 11th.
“The leaders discussed the economy and the Limnitis issue in the tete-a-tete session and had a further discussion in the open session as well on the economy. They decided that next week, next Thursday, they will talk a little more about the economy and the Limnitis question and also they will begin discussion on the issue of territory”, Downer told reporters.
Asked whether there has been any progress regarding the opening of the Limnitis crossing point, that would facilitate movement between the island’s northern Turkish occupied areas and the southern government controlled part of the country, Downer
referred journalists to the two leaders, saying that Limnitis is “an ongoing discussion and those discussions are continuing”.
Invited to say whether the UN are working on a settlement blueprint on Cyprus, Downer replied negatively.
“No. The UN do what they can to help the two sides but the UN are not writing blueprints. It’s for the leaders to negotiate a comprehensive settlement”, he said.
Invited to comment on information that he is in favor of Turkish army and settlers remaining on the island, after a solution is achieved, Downer said that as a ''politician for many years I am used to people putting words in my mouth''.
''I don't have any model that I think should be imposed on Cyprus and I am not promoting any particular model privately or publicly'', he remarked.
The UN, he added, do what they can to help with the process but ''do not have a position on the Treaty of Guarantee, on troops and that sort of questions'', noting that the leaders have not begun discussing those issues yet.
''These are matters not for the UN, but for Cyprus and when it comes to the Treaty of Guarantee of course for the relevant nations to be involved in it. We just leave those negotiations to take their natural course and help the negotiations as possible we can. But I don't have any position on those things at all. Any suggestions that I do have is completely untrue'', he went on to add.
Asked if he has complained about the local media coverage as regards his work on the island, Downer said he has no complaints, pointing out that local media do a good job.
“No, I haven’t. As a Foreign Minister and member of the Australian Cabinet and somebody who has dealt with the media for many years you just take it as it comes. I am not too sensitive on anything in the media”, he said.
He expressed the view that on the whole the media do a good job in Cyprus, adding “they put forward different points of view and that is the role of the media, so I have no problems with them”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President Christofias and Talat have been engaged in UN-led direct negotiations since September 2008 to reunite the island.
