CYPRUS: UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN VISITS THE ISLAND TO BOOST PEACE TALKS/ 13 PALESTINIANS AWAIT TO BE RELOCATED

Record ID: 223020

  • Title: CYPRUS: UN SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN VISITS THE ISLAND TO BOOST PEACE TALKS/ 13 PALESTINIANS AWAIT TO BE RELOCATED
  • Date: 14th May 2002
  • Summary: (U5) LARNACA, CYPRUS (MAY 14 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LA FLAGS FLYING NEAR TOP OF LARNACA AIRPORT BUILDING; SLVs SECURITY AROUND AIRPORT (3 SHOTS) 0.14 2. GV U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN'S PLANE TAXIING ON RUNWAY 0.19 3. VARIOUS OF ANNAN WALKING DOWN STEPS OF PLANE THEN INTO CAR (5 SHOTS) 0.56 4. SV/SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) KOFI ANNAN SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT AIRPORT SAYING: "I have come to the island to highlight the great responsibility the two leaders have undertaken and to urge them to forge ahead with a shared sense of urgency and a willingness to compromise in earnest. I also want to discuss with them how they can move forward more effectively so as to resolve the main issues by the end of June." 1.35 5. GV ANNAN LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE 1.40 6. WIDE/SLV FLAMINGO HOTEL IN LARNACA 1.50 7. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS SITTING OR WALKING ON THEIR BALCONIES (5 SHOTS) 2.27 8. LAs CAMERAMEN ON ROOF (2 SHOTS) 2.37 9. SLVs PALESTINIANS LOOKING THROUGH WINDOWS (2 SHOTS) 2.50 10. SLV SECURITY GUARD PATROLLING ON BALCONY 2.55 11. WIDE VIEW OF HOTEL 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LARNACA, CYPRUS
  • Country: Cyprus
  • Reuters ID: LVA2UGVDVVN8V3TOZLUA3FWCTAIO
  • Story Text: U.N.Secretary General Kofi Annan has flown to Cyprus to
    tell leaders they need a peace breakthrough by June, to stave
    off the prospect of the European Union admitting a divided
    island in 2004.



    Annan, the first U.N. Secretary-General to visit Cyprus
    since 1979, said on Tuesday (May 14) that he was concerned
    that reunification talks between Greek Cypriot President
    Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash had
    fallen well behind schedule.

    Annan told reporters after landing at Larnaca Airport in
    the internationally-recognised south of the Mediterranean
    island that he and members of the Security Council were
    concerned about the slow progress of the talks. A breakaway
    Turkish Cypriot state in the north is recognised only by
    Ankara.

    Cyprus has been divided since Turkish forces invaded in
    response to a brief 1974 coup by Greek Cypriot nationalists
    engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece.

    Annan said he would tell the two leaders they needed to
    make a major breakthrough by the end of June, a deadline
    Clerides and Denktash had set themselves for making progress.

    "I want to discuss with them how they can move forward
    more effectively so as to resolve the main issues by the end
    of June," he said.

    Annan said he would stress to the two leaders that they
    have a great responsibility in seizing a historic opportunity
    and that the June target date was feasible.

    Reunification talks have gone on for years, but Cyprus's
    looming EU membership has provided the first real deadline.

    One difficulty is the type of settlement sought -- Greek
    Cypriots want a close-knit federation, Turkish Cypriots a two
    state confederal union.

    The Greek Cypriots seem inclined to negotiate on issues
    such as refugees, territory, sovereignty and security while
    the Turkish Cypriots appear to want a consensus on the
    principles of a settlement before discussing details.

    Ánnan arrived in Cyprus as 13 Palestinian militants on
    temporary stay in the country await to be relocated to a
    European destination. The 13 militants, confined in a hotel in
    the seaside town of Larnaca, are on temporary stay in Cyprus
    after leaving the church of the nativity in Bethlehem as part
    of a effort to end the 38 day siege on the church.

    EU countries postponed a decision on Monday as to their
    next destination, saying they would decide within a week. Six
    countries, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Italy, Ireland and Portugal
    have volunteered to take the Palestinians, but EU officials
    said they needed more time to work out their legal status once
    they were taken in by member states.

    The Palestinians, including one wounded man who has been
    treated and released in a local hospital, are confined to
    their floor in the hotel, visited only by their Palestinian
    representative Samir Abu Ghazali.

    Annan did not make any comments about the Palestinian
    group.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register