NICOSIA: Cyprus’ rival leaders held productive talks over their divided island’s future yesterday in their first substantive meeting aimed at ending nearly 35 years of stalemate, a UN envoy said yesterday.
Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat did not reveal details of their nearly 4 1/2-hour meeting at an abandoned airport inside the UN-controlled buffer zone splitting the two sides.
But United Nations special envoy Alexander Downer was positive. “It’s been a good discussion today but there’s obviously a long way to go,” said Downer, a former Australian foreign minister. “The talks have been productive and the talks have been fruitful,” he said, adding the two leaders would meet again as scheduled Sept. 18 to continue their talks.
Christofias told reporters later that “now is not the time” to say whether or not he was pleased with yesterday’s talks. “I cannot predict anything with any certainty. We will continue on the 18th,” he said.
Earlier, when asked which language the two leaders would use to negotiate, Christofias replied: “We will speak the language of peace. This is the language which serves the interests of both sides.” Talat and Christofias began the latest round of talks on Sept. 3 - the first negotiations in four years on the divided Mediterranean island’s future.
After the largely ceremonial first meeting last week, yesterday’s talks began tackling difficult issues that had derailed all past efforts to reach a peace deal. At the top of that list is the structure of a reunited federal Cyprus and how the Greek Cypriot majority would share power with the minority Turkish Cypriots. Security arrangements and the fate of property lost mainly by Greek Cypriots also remain key unresolved problems.
“These are big issues, discussing something like governance and power sharing for a constitution is a big question,” Downer said. “So inevitably it will take a bit of time.” There is no deadline for the talks, although Talat has said he hopes to reach an agreement by the end of the year.
Downer said “the two leaders are doing what they can to push the process ahead at an appropriate speed.” The UN envoy said the two leaders would carry on with discussions on governance and power sharing in next week’s talks. They will move to property issues in subsequent meetings.
Christofias and Talat have promised to work toward a solution in an unprecedented display of joint commitment that has raised expectations for an end to the decades-long deadlock.
They have agreed in principle on a future federal structure, but remain at odds on the power of central government. Turkish Cypriots seek a loose federation, fearing dominance by Greek Cypriots who outnumber them by roughly four to one.
But Christofias wants a stronger central government and more limited regional powers to prevent Cyprus sliding back into partition.
Other contentious issues include whether Turkey will maintain a military presence on the island and whether Ankara will keep intervention rights granted when gained Cyprus independence from Britain in 1960.
