Written answers

Thursday, 20 January 2011

Department of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Conflicts

5:00 am

Photo of Bernard AllenBernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding efforts to resolve the north/south Cypriot dispute and if there is a likely resolution to this problem in the near future. [2846/11]

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The UN has the lead role in the search for a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus and Ireland fully supports the leadership of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Representative, Alexander Downer, in this important work. We continue to encourage both sides to work for progress towards the achievement of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal state through an honourable, balanced and durable settlement protecting and guaranteeing the basic rights of all Cypriots. More than 90 rounds of talks have now taken place between the leaders of the two sides since the current phase of negotiations began in September 2008 under the auspices of the UN.

On 18 November, President Christofias, the leader of the Greek Cypriots, and Dervis Eroglu, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, met for tripartite talks with Secretary General Ban in New York. Secretary General Ban conveyed to them his disappointment at the lack of progress in the talks so far and urged them to redouble their efforts. Subsequently, in his annual report to the UN Security Council on the UN Good Offices Mission in Cyprus, Secretary General Ban warned that a window of opportunity was rapidly closing, and said he feared that the talks could 'founder fatally'. He urged the two leaders to come up with a practical plan for overcoming the remaining points of disagreement across all six chapters of negotiations by 26 January, when they are due to meet with him again in Geneva.

Secretary General Ban's latest intervention has had a positive effect. Talks have intensified in the lead-up to the Geneva meeting next week. President Christofias and Dervis Eroglu held talks on 6 and 15 December. Although meetings scheduled for 21 and 28 December had to be postponed due to Mr. Eroglu's departure to Ankara for surgery, representatives of the two leaders continued to meet in his absence. Both sides brought forward proposals aimed at overcoming their remaining points of disagreement, and the two leaders met again on 12 January. They will have a further meeting on 21 January before proceeding to Geneva to meet the UN Secretary General.

While it is reported that progress has been made on some of the negotiating chapters, there remain fundamental differences between the two sides on the difficult issues of property, territory and security. If there is to be a resolution in the near future, it is vital that progress is made in the coming months, in advance of the parliamentary elections in Cyprus and Turkey.

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