Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-07-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] UN TOP ENVOY - PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS

[02] BRITAIN - TURKEY - EU - CYPRUS

[01] UN TOP ENVOY - PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS

In statements after a meeting with President Demetris Christofias, Downer said he had a good opportunity to review with the President ``where we are at in the negotiations.``

``We are looking forward to the leaders meeting tomorrow and yesterday afternoon we had a meeting of the representatives and I think it is likely that the representatives will be meeting again during the course of next week and the leaders will meet again the week after,`` he noted.

Invited to comment on statements by the Belgian Ambassador in Nicosia that the Secretary General will call a spade a spade in his forthcoming report on Cyprus, Downer said ``it is the SGs report and so we will obviously here from Nicosia provide some input into that report but he will make his own mind up about what his report will say.``

He said he has absolutely no idea what will be in the report.

``No one has given any thought in the UN to what would be in this report. The SG would like to produce the report in November. All of the SGs reports reflect what the SG thinks and what will be in that report we will be able to tell you in November. I have absolutely no idea what will be in it,`` he added.

Asked if the Secretary General will speak his mind in that report, Downer replied: ``Well I think the SG would like me to answer the question this way: The SG always speaks his mind.``

Invited to say if he is pleased with the pace of the talks and if it is time to speed up perhaps after the holidays, the Australian diplomat noted that the two sides ``had to get the talks going again after the elections `` in Cyprus Turkish occupied areas.

``So obviously there was a down period for those `elections` and Mr Talat lost and Mr Eroglu won the elections, so there is a sort of re-launch of the talks that had to take place, some discussions about that before the re-launch took place. They are back under way now. I think they are going fine,`` he said.

``I think the pace of the talks is fine at the moment,`` he added.

Asked if the two leaders will also discuss territory and the issue of the Turkish settlers along with other topics under discussion at present, Downer said that this ``is a matter for them.``

``These issues are all to be discussed, have been discussed in the past, but importantly are to be discussed in the future. All of these questions will be discussed. Exactly when they will be discussed will be something the leaders will have to work out amongst themselves. We dont offer a view on that,`` he noted.

[02] BRITAIN - TURKEY - EU - CYPRUS

Conservative Member of the Parliament, David Burrowes said that the possible connection of the implementation of the Ankara Protocol by Turkey with direct trade with Cyprus northern Turkish occupied areas constitutes a devastating development.

Bryant and Burrowes were speaking at an annual event for the Cyprus issue, organized by the National Federation of Cypriots and a team of British Members of the Parliament, in London.

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