New Cyprus peace talks launched

03/09/2008

A meeting between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities Wednesday marked the official launch of fresh negotiations aimed at ending Cyprus's 34-year division.

(Reuters, AP, AFP, CNN, DPA, BBC, FT, Euobserver, Deutsche Welle, CNA - 03/09/08; AP, DPA, CNA, Famagusta Gazette - 02/09/08)

"We must, at long last, put an end to the suffering of our people and reunite our country," Cypriot President Demetris Christofias told reporters after the meeting. [Getty Images]

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat launched a new round of peace talks Wednesday (September 3rd) amid high hopes that the process will lead to a deal ending the Mediterranean island's 34-year ethnic division.

"We must, at long last, put an end to the suffering of our people and reunite our country," Christofias said as he headed for the meeting, held at UN Special Representative to Cyprus Taye-Brook Zerihoun's residence in the UN buffer zone dividing Nicosia. The talks were attended also by former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who has been serving as UN special envoy for Cyprus since July.

Talat's chief aide also appeared optimistic about the eventual outcome.

"This is a historic day, a beautiful day," Reuters quoted Ozdil Nami as saying. "Both leaders will be sending a message of hope to their people ... to the world, that they are willing to negotiate."

The most recent attempt to resolve the issue ended in failure in April 2004, when Greek Cypriot voters overwhelmingly rejected a UN-sponsored reunification deal. Although the majority of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the proposal, only the internationally recognised Greek-run part of the island joined the EU on May 1st that year.

Hopes for the stalled peace process rose earlier this year after Christofias won a presidential runoff, pledging to spare no effort towards ending the island's division. In their first face-to-face talks on March 21st, he and Talat agreed to start preparations for new direct negotiations.

Under the deal, six working groups and seven technical committees were established in April to work out the details of a reunification agreement before the launch of UN-sponsored comprehensive peace talks.

After several meetings to assess the progress made by the panels, about six weeks ago Christofias and Talat set September 3rd as the starting date of the new negotiations.

In his opening remarks Wednesday, Christofias stressed that any solution should rest on the principles he and Talat have reaffirmed during their previous meetings.

"We must consistently adhere to the agreed common basis… a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as defined by the relevant Security Council Resolutions, with a single sovereignty, citizenship and international personality," he said.

An agreement will have to be "approved by the people in separate simultaneous referenda with no arbitration or artificial timetables, to safeguard the Cypriot ownership of the process and that the outcome will be a Cypriot solution by the Cypriots and for the Cypriots," Christofias added.

The focus of Wednesday's meeting is on procedural issues, with substantive talks scheduled to begin on September 11th. A host of reunification issues will be discussed during the negotiations, including governance, EU matters, the economy, health and the environment. Security, property rights and territory are expected to be among the thorniest issues.

A solution to the Cyprus issue would mean an end to the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, who account for less than a fifth of the island's population of nearly 800,000 people.

While no deadline has been set for the negotiations, Talat has voiced hope that an agreement could be reached by the end of this year.

The two leaders, who are expected to meet at least once a week during the talks, have decided to establish a secure hotline so that they can have direct phone contact during the process.

Praising the two sides for overcoming difficulties that arose over the past few months and for their commitment towards reaching a solution, Downer warned of potential difficulties and challenges in the months ahead.

"The Cyprus problem is not insurmountable and the negotiations which you begin today can and must have a successful outcome," he said at Wednesday's talks. "You own this process and, as a result, your continuing leadership is a critical element to make it succeed."