Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 03-03-10

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Talks in The Hague well past conclusion time

[01] Talks in The Hague well past conclusion time

0010:CYPPRESS:01

Talks in The Hague well past conclusion time

by Maria Myles

The Hague, Mar 11 (CNA) - Talks in The Hague are dragging on into the night, pushing their scheduled conclusion hours away. A meeting between UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, originally scheduled for early this afternoon, has not yet taken place.

Annan had invited the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides to The Hague to tell him whether or not they would sign a commitment there and then to put to the people of the island his plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem at separate simultaneous referenda on March 30.

Representatives of guarantor powers Britain, Greece and Turkey, are also in The Hague. Throughout the day, Annan held separate meetings with Papadopoulos, Denktash and the guarantors.

Well-informed sources have said that the talks in The Hague are focusing on suggestions that alter the nature and context of the two-page commitment included in the third Annan plan regarding the separate but simultaneous referenda.

According to the suggestions, talks on changes to the Annan plan may continue until March 28 instead of March 25, while talks between Greece and Turkey on security issues should be wrapped up by March 31.

If the two sides in Cyprus reach an agreement, the referenda will be held on April 6 instead of March 30, as provided for in the commitment the two sides have been invited to accept and sign.

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