Ambassadors of permanent five discuss latest Cyprus developments

The ambassadors in Nicosia of the five permanent members of the Security Council met on Wednesday with UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Michael Moller where they reviewed the latest developments on the Cyprus problem, following last week’s meeting between President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

Sources told CNA that during the meeting, which was held at the residence of the French ambassador, the diplomats discussed the results of the two leaders’ meeting and reconfirmed the firm position of the permanent five for the immediate implementation of the July 8 Agreement, despite reports that one of the five recently appeared to be backing out of the need to implement the Agreement.

Other sources told CNA that the permanent five examined ways to exert influence on the Turkish side to be persuaded to put into practice the Agreement.

A foreign diplomat, speaking to CNA, did not rule out the possibility of a common statement being issued on the decisions taken.

President Papadopoulos met Talat at Moller’s residency on September 5 where they “agreed on the need for the earliest start of the process and discussed other issues leading to a comprehensive settlement.”

The meeting came 14 months after the two agreed on July 8 last year, in the presence of senior UN official Imbrahim Gambarri, to set up technical committees and working groups to discuss issues that affect the day to day life of the people and substantive issues of the question of Cyprus, The July agreement 2006 also provided for periodic meetings between Papadopoulos and Talat to help push the process forward.