Cyprus denies WikiLeaks report on lack of trust in fragile coalition

The Cyprus government hotly denied reports published in the Greek and Cypriot press over leaked U.S. embassy cables posted on WikiLeaks suggesting a lack of trust between President Demetris Christofias and his foreign minister, Markos Kyprianou.
The cables released by WikiLeaks allege that this lack of trust created an internal obstacle to progress on the Cyprus talks, a major issue that could jeopardise the already fragile coalition of Christofis’ communist Akel party and Kyprianou’s centre right Diko party.
Akel wants to continue with conciliatory talks with the Turkish side, while the smaller Diko party has taken a harder nationalist line and disapproves of past efforts by the United Nations to a impose a settlement on the island’s 37-year division.
The specific cables, published by the Athens newspaper Kathimerini, relate to a meeting between the International Secretary for the Greek socialist party PASOK and informal advisor to George Papandreou, Paulina Lampsa, and US ambassador to Athens Daniel Speckhard on December 3, 2009.
“I categorically deny everything that included in the press reports that refer to the Wikileaks documents concerning the President’s relations with Foreign Minister Markos Kypranou. They are a figment of imagination”, government spokesman Stephanos Stephanou told reporters.
He added that President Christofias has never had a meeting or conversation with Lampsa, who reportedly made the remarks.
On his part, the foreign minister said the cables posted by WikiLeaks are opinions which are not worth commenting on.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with China's Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying, Kyprianou said “it is not worth a comment and if they are true, they are views expressed by a specific person and comments have already been made by the government spokesman. I do no think they warrant any gravity and they are not worth commenting on”.