TRNC Public Information Office

STATEMENT OF THE TWO LEADERS READ BY MICHAEL MOLLER, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND CHIEF OF MISSION OF UNFICYP FOLLOWING THE MEETING ON 21 MARCH 2008

I am very pleased to announce the following on behalf of the two leaders.

The leaders met today in a very positive and cordial atmosphere and exchanged views on a number of issues, achieving a great degree of convergence. They have decided to ask their respective advisers to meet this coming week in order to set up a number of working groups and technical committees, establish their agendas, and to do so in the most expeditious way possible.

In taking full responsibility for the conduct of future negotiations, the leaders have also agreed to meet three months from now to review the work of the working groups and technical committees, and using their results, to start full-fledged negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The leaders have also agreed to meet as and when needed prior to the commencement of their formal negotiations.

The leaders have also agreed that Ledra Street will, as soon as technically possible, open and function in accordance with the established practices at other crossings.

The issue of the opening of the Limnitis crossing and other crossings is also on the agenda for the coming meetings of their advisers.

TALAT AND CHRISTOFIAS MEET TODAY

President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias will meet today (21 March) at the residence of the UN Special Representative to Cyprus Michael Moller in the buffer zone at 10 am.

The meeting which is considered to be the beginning of a new negotiation process is also important as it will be the first between the two leaders since Demetris Christofias’s election victory in February this year. The Turkish Cypriot side will try to establish what kind of change has taken place in the Greek Cypriot administration’s Cyprus policy following the change of leader after the February elections.

Commenting on preparations for tomorrow’s meeting, the Presidential Spokesperson Hasan Ercakica said that the success of the process ahead will depend greatly on the Greek Cypriot leaders’ interest and stance to be adopted towards a solution.

Meanwhile, President Mehmet Ali Talat received ambassadors of five permanent member countries of the United Nations Security Council namely; the US, UK, France, Russia and China. The Presidential Spokesperson Hasan Ercakica told reporters at the end of the meeting that the ambassadors of Britain, United States, France, Russia and China visited the President to learn the Turkish Cypriot Side’s position before today’s meeting.

After a meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader on Wednesday, the five ambassadors expressed their support to efforts towards finding a settlement in Cyprus.

PRIME MINISTER SOYER: “SOLUTION IN CYPRUS IS A PRIORITY”

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer speaking at the opening of a symposium titled ‘Understanding Cyprus’ organized by Lefke European University in Istanbul, stated that the Turkish Cypriot side will sit at the negotiation table with the target of reaching a settlement until the end of 2008.

Prime Minister Soyer pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot side was ready to discuss all UN settlement plans and proposals.

Touching upon tomorrow’s meeting between President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Greek Cypriot Leader Demetris Christofias, Soyer expressed the hope that the meeting will pave the way for a negotiations process based on the UN parameters.

Stressing the importance of reaching a settlement in Cyprus, Soyer said pushing a mutually acceptable settlement would also help to improve the relations between Turkey and Greece.

Explaining that settlement was necessary to have an effective role in the international arena, Prime Minister Soyer said following a settlement on the UN parameters Turkish Cypriots would regain their rights stemming from 1960 Partnership Republic and become an effective actor in the international platforms. Soyer added that this would also help Turkey to progress in its EU membership process.

FOREIGN MINISTER AVCI RECEIVES AUSTRALIAN TURKISH BUSINESS COUNCIL MEMBER

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý has received Australian Turkish Business Council Board of Directors Member and the owner of Grand Foods Company Ali Fuat Kahveci who came to the TRNC with the aim of implementing the commercial agreements they discussed during Avcý’s visit to Australia.

Speaking during the meeting Foreign Minister Avcý said Kahveci has an important role both in the Australian Turkish Business Council and the business world and added that Kahveci was the initiator of the trade of the materials and food used by the Turkish Cypriots in Australia. Stressing that it was not possible to actively engage in foreign politics or foreign trade by sitting in the TRNC, Avcý said until today Australia was outside the scope of the TRNC and considered as a place far away. He underlined that commercial relations to be established between the TRNC and Australia as well as the tourists to come from Australia would help the Turkish Cypriots to open to the world.

Foreign Minister Avcý said the Turkish Cypriots’ main strength is their motherland Turkey and brothers living abroad for easing the isolation imposed by the Greek Cypriots.

Avcý said Kahveci’s visit was important and that he would be very pleased if a trade starts as a result of their meeting.

For his part, Kahveci pointed out that there is a strong Turkish lobby and many Turkish Cypriots in Australia, which has close relations with Far East countries because of its geographical position; therefore Australia should not be ignored. Stating that he thought before to invest in the TRNC and carried out a research about this, Kahveci said if the necessary infrastructure could be established in the TRNC he was planning to make an investment in tourism sector.

ROTH: “EUROPE IS VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE OUTCOME OF TOMORROW’S (TODAY) MEETING BETWEEN TALAT AND CHRISTOFIAS”

The Co-Chairperson of the German Greens Party and member of the German Parliament Claudia Roth and her accompanying delegation who visited the TRNC upon an official invitation of the Speaker of the TRNC Parliament Fatma Ekenoglu departed from the TRNC yesterday (20 March).

Speaking before their departure Roth stressed that Europe is very much looking forward to seeing the outcome of today’s meeting between the two leaders on the island and expressed the hope that a new window of opportunity will be opened for a settlement.

Roth noted that she will continue to maintain her constructive support to efforts aimed at finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Roth said solving the Cyprus problem and easing the isolation faced by the Turkish Cypriot people in their daily lives was not only a problem of Cyprus but also a matter of confidence for the European Union.