PRESIDENT TALAT MEETS BAN KI MOON

TALAT: “WE REQUESTED SECRETARY GENERAL TO TAKE AN INITIATIVE”

President Mehmet Ali Talat stating that he requested the UN Secretary General (UNSG) Ban Ki Moon to take an initiative on the Cyprus issue said he had the impression that the UNSG would take an initiative and added that he was very pleased with the meeting.

President Talat and the UNSG met yesterday (13 March) in the Senegalese capital Dakar where the OIC Summit has been carried out.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý was also present at the meeting between President Talat and Ban Ki Moon.

Speaking following the meeting President Talat pointed out that he said to the UNSG that a solution could be found to the problem by the end of 2008 if a new process, in which the UN would play an active role, was launched immediately.

President Talat also noted that Ban Ki Moon had told him that the UN would determine its next step on the Cyprus issue at the end of a visit to be paid to the island by the UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe.

President Talat has also met with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and various state ministers of other countries.

President Talat is expected to address the General Assembly today and he and his delegation would return to the TRNC on Saturday night (15 March).