Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-03-08

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Secretary generals to represent guarantor powers at Cyprus talks at The

[02] Greek FM Papandreou, UN chief Annan discuss Iraq crisis, Cyprus issue

[01] Secretary generals to represent guarantor powers at Cyprus talks at The Hague

Cyprus' guarantor powers, namely Greece, Turkey and Britain, will be represented at Monday's talks at The Hague on the Cyprus issue at the level of foreign ministry secretary generals, it was announced in Athens on Saturday.

Greece will be represented by Foreign MinistrySecretary General Ambassador Anastasios Skopelitis, Turkey by his counterpart Ambassador Ugur Ziyal and the Foreign Office by Britain's special representative for Cyprus, Lord David Hannay.

At Monday's talks, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will ask Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to tell him whether or not they would sign a commitment to submit the Foundation Agreement to approval at separate simultaneous referendums on March 30 in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Greek Foreign Minister and EU Council of Foreign Ministers president George Papandreou, who held talks with Annan at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday evening, will depart on Sunday for The Hague where he will meet President Papadopoulos. According to the programme, however, Papandreou is expected to return to Athens the same evening.

The envoys of the three guarantor powers have the necessary authorisation by their respective governments, providing agreement is reached, to sign the relevant memorandum in order to put to the Cyprus people a peace proposal for a comprehensive settlement.

[02] Greek FM Papandreou, UN chief Annan discuss Iraq crisis, Cyprus issue

NEW YORK (ANA - P. Panagiotou) - The Iraq crisis and the Cyprus issue were the focus of talks which Greek Foreign Minister and EU Council of Foreign Ministers president George Papandreou and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had at the UN headquarters on Friday night.

On the Iraq issue, the two men agreed that there was still some hope for war to be averted. Papandreou reiterated to his interlocutor that Greece, as European Union president, will contine to work for alternative solutions aimed at a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

Papandreou will depart on Sunday for The Hague where Annan has invited the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides to meet him the following day for talks on Cyprus.

During his visit to Cyprus last month, the UN chief asked President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to travel to The Hague to tell him whether or not they would sign a commitment to submit the Foundation Agreement to approval at separate simultaneous referendums on March 30 in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

The Secretary-General has also asked Cyprus' guarantor powers, namely Greece, Turkey and Britain, to be represented at The Hague on Monday, at a level commensurate with the importance of the meeting.

Papandreou's presence at The Hague is not connected with the level of representation of Cyprus' two other guarantor powers (Britain and Turkey). Concerning the signing of a memorandum in order to put to the Cyprus people a peace proposal for a comprehensive settlement, the representation has to be at the same level.

According to diplomatic sources, Papandreou will meet at The Hague with Annan, Cyprus President Papadopoulos and the other members of the Greek Cypriot delegation.

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