Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-10-20

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] DOWNER - CYPRUS ISSUE - LEADERS` MEETING

[02] EP GROUP - CYPRUS ISSUE

[03] LEBANON - CYPRUS - TALKS

[04] CYPRUS RALLY - NOVEMBER

[01] DOWNER - CYPRUS ISSUE - LEADERS` MEETING

Speaking to the Press after a meeting he had today at the Presidential Palace with President of the Republic Demetris Christofias, which lasted for about an hour, Downer said that they had the opportunity not only to review where we are at in the talks but also to continue to make preparations for the meeting in New York on the 30th and the 31ast of October.

He said that that is all coming together well, adding that the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki moun is going to be heavily involved.

He is very committed to this process and he wants to be involved and he is looking forward to meeting with the leaders and hearing their assessments of where they are at on all of the issues, he said.

Downer said that he would be meeting the Secretary General the day before the meeting with the leaders to give him his own view on where we are up to and particularly on the core issues that he asked the leaders to work on when he met them on the 7 of July.

Asked to clarify what he meant when saying that the UNSG will be heavily involved, Downer said that he is going to start of the meeting on the Sunday at around 9.30 am with a working breakfast and then he will lead the discussion for the first part of the day.

And then, he added, Ban Ki moun has another function to go to but he will be back the next day and he will also draw conclusions and he will host a dinner on Monday night the 31st.

Replying to a comment made by a journalist that the President of the Republic was disappointed following yesterdays meeting due to the Turkish Cypriot stance, Downer said that these meetings vary a lot. In some meetings there is a real sense of progress and convergences are achieved. In other meetings there are differences and differences open up and they look difficult.

The meeting we had last Friday was a good and solid meeting. The meeting we had this Wednesday wasnt quite so enlightening, he said.

It wasnt our best meeting I have to be frank with you and we hope that tomorrow will be a much more constructive meeting, he concluded.

[02] EP GROUP - CYPRUS ISSUE

In a press conference he gave Thursday with other MEPs members of the Contact Group on the occasion of the conclusion of their three day visit to Cyprus, Roucek said that ``the wish of our Group and the EP is that both leaders in Cyprus come to a mutually satisfactory solution``.

He added that ``of course compromises have to be made and I think it is important to come as soon as possible to a conclusion otherwise I am afraid that time is running against the interests of Cypriots, both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Our main message is to encourage both leaders successfully conclude the negotiations``.

Asked whether he shares the feeling, which prevails in Cyprus, that there are no prospects for a solution soon, he said that ``this Group, in this composition, we come here for 2,5 years. Each time we get your message that the mood is not optimistic. We know that. But I think if you want to have a solution - and I think the solution is in the interest of both communities - perhaps the mood could be changed slightly from not optimistic at least to neutral and more optimistic or less pessimistic``.

[03] LEBANON - CYPRUS - TALKS

According to CNA sources, on October 18 the Lebanese Government proposed a team of experts be sent to Cyprus, headed by Mansour, within the next few days.

However, Markoullis will be in Australia, representing the President of the Republic at the Commonwealth summit, so she proposed that they meet when she returns to Cyprus, at a date to be set, which was accepted by the Lebanese side. She also expressed the willingness of the Cypriot side to host the Lebanese team of experts over the next few days to discuss issues of mutual interest in the sectors of maritime policy and energy.

According to the same sources, the Cypriot Government was notified of the Lebanese side`s wish that the technical discussions be held when Mansour visits Cyprus, and the Cypriot Government did not object.

[04] CYPRUS RALLY - NOVEMBER

The Cyprus Rally will kick off on the evening of November 3 with the Super Special Stage, a 3.2km tarmac stage in the heart of downtown Paphos, which is expected to prove a spectacular opener to the event.

On November 4 and 5 the crews will tackle a further ten special stages, which will be mixed surface.

Immediately after the Cyprus Rally, on November 6, Cyprus will host the Cyprus Golden Stage Rally, an all-or-nothing single stage event that will see a host of top drivers go head to head in their bid to secure a share of a 150,000-euro prize.

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article