Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 12-04-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] House President: Responsibilities must be attributed for the impasse

[02] UNSG's ambition is to call a peace conference in the summer

[03] Christofides: We will continue negotiating to reach a solution

[01] House President: Responsibilities must be attributed for the impasse

Omirou said that the Greek Cypriot side will respond to the UN Secretary General's prompt to the two sides to continue the negotiations.

Noting that UNSG Special Representative in Cyprus Alexander Downer admitted Friday during a press conference in Nicosia that there has been no progress on the essential aspects of the issue, Omirou said that "responsibilities should be attributed for the impasse on the Cyprus issue after four years of negotiations aiming to reach a solution".

Speaker of the House pointed out that a multilateral conference on the Cyprus issue can only be convened for the international aspect of it, provided that there has been an agreement between the two sides on all the internal aspects of the issue.

[02] UNSG's ambition is to call a peace conference in the summer

Downer noted that the UN will engage over the next couple of weeks in shuttle diplomacy between the two sides to negotiate the way forward and the precise way in which matters should be handled.

Speaking at a press conference in Nicosia, Downer recalled that the aim of these talks has been to reach a comprehensive settlement based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, as set out in relevant Security Council resolutions.

He reiterated that this is a Cypriot owned and Cypriot led process, adding that since the beginning of the talks in September 2008 a significant number of convergences has been reached across the chapters of the negotiations, but "it is clear to me and to both leaders" that the negotiations have recently come to a standstill.

Referring to his meeting last week with the Secretary General in New York, Downer said that they discussed this assessment of the state of the negotiations, adding that following this meeting the Secretary General called both leaders and told them that he was very disappointed that the sides had not progressed as he would have hoped and that it is clear that something has to change.

[03] Christofides: We will continue negotiating to reach a solution

Christofides was speaking at the funeral of Michalis and Maria Maroniti, who were murdered by the invaders during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and their remains were identified using the DNA method.

"We reiterate our commitment to a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation which will secure the unity of a state with single sovereignty, single international personality, single citizenship and political equality of the two communities as defined by the relevant Security Council resolutions" Christofides said, adding that this goal can be achieved through the agreed procedure of negotiations currently underway.

Pointing out that ``our side will not accept any violation of the process leading to arbitration, mediation, timeframes, or a non agreed international conference`` Christofides said that the Government of Cyprus is ready to continue negotiating for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

The Director of the Office of the President called on those who are truly interested in a real progress of the Cyprus issue to focus their efforts on how Turkey and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglou will alter their intransigent and provocative attitude.

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