Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-10-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] DOWNER STATEMENTS

[02] PISSARIDES STATEMENTS - CNA

[03] ENLARGEMENT COMMISSIONER - CYPRUS

[01] DOWNER STATEMENTS

In statements after a meeting with President Demetris Christofias, Downer said that nothing is agreed at the Cyprus talks unless everything is agreed, noting that there are no deadlines to the process.

The UN official said he had a good meeting with the Cypriot President during which they reviewed the course of the negotiations.

The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, he said, will meet tomorrow, their representatives will meet Friday afternoon, so it is good to see the process moving forward.

Asked if there is any haste to the process, he replied I think we have said this on many occasions, it is important that there is a good momentum in the process, noting that the two leaders have been abroad recently and talks dont take place during such time. But there have been representatives meetings and the leaders are getting together tomorrow and this is very welcomed, he noted.

Asked what the UN expects from the meetings to come, he said we want them to keep working on the property issue.

He recalled that the two sides have put forward proposals on the property issue, saying that they need to keep working and reconciling those two proposals into one agreed position.

This obviously is going to take a bit of work but that is what the meetings all focus on, thats our expectation. Property is a difficult issue and it is good that they are addressing a difficult issue, he stressed.

Replying to questions, Downer said that the two sides need to concentrate on the property issue, adding that during the Cyprus talks held between President Christofias and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat there have been good meetings since they reached some important convergences on the chapter of government and power sharing and they discussed the economy and the EU issues.

But in the end, he noted, the two sides need to get a greater degree of convergence on the hard issue of property, saying we look forward to them doing that, that is the point of their meetings.

Replying to questions, he said there can be reconciliation of the two positions, saying of course it is possible, these are really political questions, it is possible to do it, it is possible to find ways through, and there has to be a determination by both sides to do that.

Of course if they cant, the negotiations will fail, so it is important to the whole process into the future of this island that they find a way through, he noted.

Replying to questions, he said that at the Cyprus talks the two sides can talk about other issues, noting that but the issue before them is the property issue.

You can start negotiating other issues but in the end if you can never agree on what is going to happen to property in Cyprus you can never have a comprehensive agreement in Cyprus, everybody knows that. That is perfectly clear, he stressed.

The UN official pointed out that all other chapters are important ``but if you do not agree on one chapter, then you might agree on all the others but if you cannot agree on one you havent got a comprehensive agreement, nothing is agreed here unless everything is agreed, so that is important to remember.

Replying to questions, Downer said that there are no deadlines to the process but noted that the two sides need to find a way through their differences.

There are no deadlines but it is just important that the process has a real momentum and that they move forward as fast as they can, not so fast that they dont do the job properly but on the other hand not drag their feet and do it slowly either, he pointed out.

Downer said that the two sides need to find a way through the differences they have, adding they need to think about if they cant agree, how else are they going to deal with this?

They have to work out this sort of questions, at the end of the day they are going to have to work these things out themselves. What we think or the international community thinks that is not the issue, it is what the two sides in Cyprus think that is the issue, he went on to add.

Replying to another question, Downer said that during tomorrows meeting the two sides will talk about future meetings.

Concluding Downer said the UN do not have any plans to hold an international conference on the Cyprus issue.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied 37% of Cyprus` territory. The UN led Cyprus talks began in September 2008 with an aim to reunify the country under one federal roof.

[02] PISSARIDES STATEMENTS - CNA

Speaking to CNA, Pissarides said he received the news on a telephone call from Sweden, one hour before the official release of the decision to the Nobel Prize Organization`s website.

``I did not expect it. It was a big surprise, a great honour for me, my family and Cyprus and for my University. It was a great honour and it has not sunk in yet,`` Pissarides said, adding that the great interest shown in Cyprus and elsewhere was a pleasant surprise.

He said he will be coming to Cyprus as he holds a seat at the University of Cyprus.

This year`s three Laureates have formulated a theoretical framework for search markets. Pissarides expanded the theory and applied it to the labour market.

[03] ENLARGEMENT COMMISSIONER - CYPRUS

Acording to an official press release issued here by the European Commissions Representation in Cyprus, during his stay on the island Commissioner Fule will have a series of meetings and will attend the opening of the Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing point, on the northwest of the island, to facilitate movement to and from the northern Turkish occupied areas of the Republic.

Speaking prior to his visit, Fule said that the European Union is fully behind confidence building measures like the opening of this crossing point and is proud to have contributed with its financial support to a major landmark of the Cypriot pursuit of peace``.

According to the program of the Commissioners visit, Fule will hold on Thursday consecutive meetings with the President of the Republic Demetris Christofias, UNSG Special Advisor on Cyprus Alexander Downer, Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and Cypriot FM Markos Kyprianou.

In the evening of the same day he will have dinner with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political party leaders.

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