Cyprus peace talks record 'significant progress' amid increasing international push
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The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have made "significant progress" in their intensive talks as the international community increasingly pushes the two sides for a solution to the decades-old Cyprus problem.
"The leaders want me, on their behalf, to say that significant progress has been made in a series of areas of governance," said Alexander Downer, special adviser of the UN secretary-general, after the two leaders rounded up on Friday two rounds of intensive talks on governance and power sharing.
Cyprus President Demetris Christofias, a Greek Cypriot, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in talks since September 2008, trying to reach an agreement which will reunify the island.
Downer added that Christofias and Talat had left Friday's meeting "feeling positive," but the UN envoy declined to elaborate.
In a bid to inject new momentum to the peace process, UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has decided to visit the divided island between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2. He will meet the two leaders on Monday and hold a joint press conference in the UN-controlled buffer zone.
"The visit of Mr. Ban Ki-moon to Cyprus is another fact that proves that the achievement of a solution to the Cyprus problem constitutes a high priority of the international organization and concerns the international community," government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told a briefing.
He said Ban's visit is taking place at a period of increased international interest in Cyprus. Though he gave assurance that the government is not concerned about Ban exerting pressure. Critics of Ban's visit insist that he is coming either to advocate more concessions or to consolidate an interim agreement on the issue of governance and power sharing, on which the Greek Cypriot side has made major concessions.
This will leave other important issues, such as territory seized by the Turkish troops since 1974 and abrogating international guarantees and intervention rights, to be taken up after an election in the Turkish Cypriot controlled northern part of Cyprus.
UN diplomats say they are concerned that elections in the Turkish Cypriot north on April 18 may lead to hardliner Dervis Eroglu replacing moderate Mehmet Ali Talat as the new leader and chief negotiator on behalf of Turkish Cypriots.
Eroglu has said that if elected he will continue the talks on Cyprus but will demand the establishment of an entirely new Cyprus state by two founding states, which will have more powers than the central government. This will almost certainly lead to the negotiations being bogged down.
Some Greek Cypriot politicians also voiced suspicion that the appointment of a personal representative by U.S. President Barack Obama is a move to exert pressure for a quick solution to the Cyprus problem.
They claim the situation is reminiscent of moves which culminated in the United Nations secretary-general acting as an arbitrator in 2004. The United Nations had put before the two sides a plan for a solution which came to be known as the Annan plan -- after then UN chief Kofi Annan.
Though approved by Turkish Cypriots, the plan was rejected by a majority of 76 percent of Greek Cypriots as being heavily one- sided in favor of the Turkish side.
In announcing Ban's visit to Cyprus, the United Nations spokesmen both in New York and Nicosia went into great pains to give assurances that Ban will act neither as a mediator nor as an arbitrator. They pointed out that his sole aim is "to personally show his support for the efforts of the two leaders to reach a solution."
Diplomats in Nicosia having an inside knowledge say that Ban finally decided to come because cancellation of his much expected visit might send out a message of failure.
This narrows down the scope of the visit to just reassuring both sides about the United Nations' intense interest in promoting a solution and its intention to continue supporting the efforts of the community leaders, as long as there is a will for a solution reuniting the island.
To this direction he will extend an offer for any help needed, including his personal good services and influence on countries which could help find a solution.
These include Turkey, Greece and Britain, all three acting jointly as guarantor powers since the Cyprus Republic was established in 1960.
Coinciding with the presence of Ban, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will also pay an official visit to the island this weekend. Apart from discussions on bilateral relations, EU-China affairs and international matters of mutual interest, Yang's Cypriot counterpart Marcos Kyprianou will also brief him on the present phase of the Cyprus problem.
The Cypriot minister has already discussed the Cyprus issue with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of a conference on Afghanistan in London.
The Cyprus government traditionally turns for support to Russia and China, as well as France, all permanent members of the UN Security Council, when facing difficulties on the Cyprus problem.
The island state has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north following a coup by a group of Greek officers.
In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot authorities declared breakaway and set up the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Turkey.
For several decades, the international community, especially the UN, has continuously worked to persuade the two communities to find a viable solution to the Cyprus issue.
