- Title: FRANCE: U.N.-SPONSORED TALKS ON CYPRUS END WITHOUT BREAKTHROUGH.
- Date: 7th September 2002
- Summary: (W6) PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 6, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: EXTERIORS HOTEL BRISTOL 0.05 2. MV: TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH AND SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN SHAKING HANDS 0.13 3. MV: CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES' CAR OUTSIDE HOTEL 0.18 4. MV: GLAFCOS CLERIDES SHAKING HANDS WITH KOFI ANNAN 0.29 5. GV: JOURNALISTS AT BRISTOL HOTEL 0.31 6. MV/CU/PAN: KOFI ANNAN, RAUF DENKTASH AND GLAFCOS CLERIDES STANDING FOR JOURNALISTS, AFTER LUNCH (2 SHOTS) 0.48 7. GLAFCOS CLERIDES AND RAUF DENKTASH SHAKING HANDS 8. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPOKESMAN ALVARO DE SOTO SAYING: "Each side has its own distinct and strongly held perspective, both on the history of the Cyprus problem and on the way forward. Nevertheless, I continue to believe that the gaps dividing the parties can be bridged. On some issues, I feel they are quite a bit smaller than when these talks began". 1.19 9. MV: JOURNALISTS TAKING NOTES 1.23 10. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH SAYING: "He has asked us to meet him again next month in New York. In the meantime, to continue the talks and see whether we can manage to bridge certain of the difficulties which we have encountered. So this was a good meeting, it was timely, and I'm very pleased with hearing what I heard from the Secretary General." 1.48 11. MV: JOURNALISTS LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES 1.51 12. MV/GV: CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES APPROACHING MICROPHONES (2 SHOTS) 2.00 13. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES SAYING: "During the meeting we discussed what the sticking points and differences were, we explained our positions on those points, and the reasons for those positions. The Secretary General has suggested that we return to Cyprus, that we continue with the talks." 2.30 14. MV/PAN: GLAFCOS CLERIDES LEAVING 2.35 15. MV/PAN: RAUF DENKTASH LEAVING 2.43 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 22nd September 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA9G89TTZH5JYO1G6X5X77IXHEM
- Story Text: U.N.-sponsored talks in Paris aimed at breaking the
stalemate over the divided island of Cyprus have failed to
achieve a breakthrough, but U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan
said he remained confident a deal could be reached.
United Nations Secretary general Kofi Annan met
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Cypriot President
Glafcos Clerides in Paris on Friday (September 6) in a effort
to break the stalemate in their talks to reunite under one
government the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which has been
divided since 1974.
The Secretary General held separate talks with each of
his guests, and then the three of them shared a lunch
together.
In a statement read after the meetings by his spokesman
Alvaro De Soto, Annan said he continued "to believe that the
gaps dividing the parties can be bridged." The two leaders had
agreed to meet him for more talks in New York on October 3-4,
he added.
After the talks at the luxury Bristol hotel, Denktash
described them as "a good meeting" and added: "It was timely,
and I'm very pleased with hearing what I heard from the
Secretary-General."
Diplomats said a breakthrough was not expected ahead of
a Turkish election on November 3, despite pressure for
progress before an expected end-of-year deadline for the
European Union to announce a date for the island's entry into
the bloc.
Sovereignty is a key issue. Greek Cypriots want the
island reunited as a bizonal bicommunal federation with one
sovereignty but Denktash wants a loose union of two largely
independent states.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 after a short-lived Greek
Cypriot coup engineered by the military junta then in Athens.
Turkey is the only country to recognise Denktash's
self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and
Ankara is seen unwilling to turn Cyprus into an election issue
that could raise the passions of Turkish nationalists.
Yet a continued stalemate could have implications
throughout Europe, with Turkey -- bitter over the slow pace of
its own efforts to join the EU -- threatening to "annex" north
Cyprus if the EU puts Cyprus on its list of members invited to
join in 2004 or 2005.
Turkey's arch-rival and EU member Greece says if Cyprus
is not on the list, it will block all EU eastward expansion.
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