Snags hit Cyprus talks

Disagreements over the nature and process of the March 21 accord, as well as reported glitches in the panels of experts have put a damper on the initial excitement over prospects for new reunification talks.

Persistent reports that a number of the working groups and technical committees had hit a snag in this, their third week forced the government to concede there were problems.

The dispute homed in on whether direct negotiations between the leaders could begin even if the teams of experts did not produce concrete results. The Turkish Cypriot side said yes, but the government’s take was that the panels must lay a solid groundwork, otherwise there would be no point to the face-to-face talks.

Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou yesterday chose to duck a question as to the two sides’ differing interpretations.

"We shall exhaust all the limits afforded by the process," he said, referring to the preparatory process.

He was speaking to newsmen shortly after meeting Tare-Brook Zerihoun the UN Secretary-General’s new Special Representative in Cyprus, at the Ledra Palace in Nicosia.

Fictitious

Asked whether direct talks between Talat and Christofias would go ahead regardless of the results of the panels, Iacovou offered:

"Let’s not jinx it."

He also debunked as "fictitious" press reports that Christofias was considering asking for an extension to the panels’ three-month timeframe.

The panels had already covered close to 50% of the subjects, he added.

The differing interpretations of the March 21 agreement came fully out in the open yesterday afternoon, during a meeting of Greek and Turkish Cypriot political parties at the Ledra Palace.

On Wednesday, President Christofias was careful not to play up the issue.

"It is too early to talk of a dead end," Christofias told the media on Wednesday.

It would not be "correct" of him to make a public assessment of the situation, given his upcoming meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat on May 23, he added.

The meeting will be presided over by Tare-Brook Zerihoun, the UN Secretary-General’s new Special Representative in Cyprus. It will most likely be held at the UN Mission Chief’s residence at the old Nicosia airport.

Progress

"In any case, I strongly feel that it will take a lot of work, and I believe that, together with Mr. Talat we should re-evaluate the basis on which the discussions are taking place," he said

But this did not mean the process should be scuppered or put on hold, added Christofias.

Citing the March 21 deal reached with Talat, Christofias said the leaders of the two communities had agreed to meet periodically to assess progress.

"That is all I mean by saying the process should be re-evaluated. However, in the meantime, given that difficulties, shall we say, have arisen, and this irrespective of the very friendly climate within the working groups and technical committees, it was not our goal to go [to the negotiations] in order to argue, but rather to discuss."

Christofias said it was he who had asked Talat for next Friday’s meeting precisely because he had established these difficulties and differences in opinion.

The President is said to be concerned that some of the panels, especially those dealing with crucial issues such as power-sharing and government, have been bogged down because of vast differences between the Greek Cypriot experts and their Turkish Cypriot counterparts.

At the same time, though, the government has acknowledged that progress has been made on some minor subjects.

Sources close to the teams confirmed to the Weekly the snags, but insisted these should not be blown out of proportion.

Equal

One source said many of the disputes mostly arose from the Turkish Cypriots’ insistence on being regarded as a separate sovereign entity.

"For instance, when discussing joint projects, say fire-fighting or a national ambulance service, we want this to be done via the UN. The other side says ‘no, it’s just you and us, as equal partners.

"But it’s way too early to pass judgment on the process," he added.

"To a certain degree, these differences are to be expected. Nobody said it would be easy," commented another source.

"We aren’t satisfied with the progress," government spokesman Stephanos Stephanou told the Weekly.

Although refusing to be drawn on what the disputes were, Stephanou said the government was keen for the process to succeed, but that the necessary "foundations" should be laid first.

The spokesman also dismissed the notion that the Greek Cypriot side had changed its tune, initially giving the impression that the negotiations would proceed irrespective of the panels’ progress but then saying that the second stage was contingent on the success of the first.

Negative

From across the divide, a very different message emerged. Not only was the preparatory process on cruise control, but any differences could be deal with subsequenty, said the breakaway regime.

Talat’s office released a statement noting

"We deem the work of the three-week period as ‘positive’…we are surprised by the negative statements of the spokespersons of the Greek Cypriot side which claim that no progress has taken place…"

"As it is known in the last stock-taking meeting which took place between the representatives of the two leaders, Mr. Nami and Mr. Iacovou, an agreement was reached that, in general, the process has been moving positively," it added.

"Moreover, it was an agreed method to undertake the problems that may arise in the working groups and the technical committees primarily in the meetings between Mr. Nami and Mr. Iacovou. Therefore, we expected the Greek Cypriot side to bring those issues they deem as ‘problems’ to the table during the meetings held between the representatives of the two leaders.

"After all, in this new process that has been launched by the 21 March agreement, it was agreed that the issues of substance of the Cyprus problem could be settled after they are undertaken at the level of the two leaders."

Still, the downer on the new peace drive seemed almost to come out of the blue. Earlier in the week, the government had announced it was working out a series of confidence-building measures aimed at "maintaining the good climate and boosting peace-seeking efforts."

Without elaborating, government spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said the steps concerned the economy and culture.

"It is part of our general policy for rapprochement with the Turkish Cypriot community. We shall be announcing the measures soon," he told the Weekly.

GETO TO KNOW: Presidential Commissioner George Iacovou, U N Mission Chief Tare-Brook Zerihoun and Turkish Cypriot adviser Ozdil Nami at the Ledra Palace yesterday.

Source: http://www.cyprusweekly.com.cy/default.aspx?FrontPageID=304_1