Disappointment is dominant at the UN headquarters with the lack of progress in the Cyprus talks, however, the UN Secretary General’s decision to continue the talks to reach convergences on the core issues remains, according to diplomatic sources.
The same sources said that this development is evident from the meetings of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser Alexander Downer with representatives of the interested parties and members of the UN Security Council.
According to the same sources, apart from the fact that there will be no international conference on the Cyprus issue, something which the UNSG has clearly stated, there is nothing to indicate that there will be a change in the procedure, the mandate or the role of the UN.
At the same time, there is no reference to the Cyprus Presidency of the European Council which starts on July 1st. References are made to the presidential elections of February 2013 and the pre-election campaign in the Republic of Cyprus.
Downer will convey to the two leaders in Cyprus the decision of the SG to continue the talks in an intensified manner on issues concerning governance and property, followed by citizenship and EU matters.
The same sources are skeptical about the possible reaction of the Turkish Cypriot side and how the international organization will react to them and also ascertained pessimism amongst UN officials on the possibilities to break the deadlock.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. A new round of peace talks started on September 2008 to find a negotiated settlement that will reunify the country, under a federal roof.
The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, met last January with the UN Secretary-General in New York.
In his statement after the conclusion of the talks, Ban urged the two leaders to make decisive steps towards a final agreement on the Cyprus problem. He said that he would be hearing about the progress of the talks from his Special Adviser Alexander Downer and would decide on the next steps.
