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Thursday, 15 August 2024 | ||
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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-11-10Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] NATIONAL COUNCIL - SESSIONThe National Council, the top advisory body to the President on the handling of the Cyprus question, convenes on Monday under the chair of President Demetris Christofias to discuss the situation in the Cyprus problem.The Council, comprising parliamentary parties, will discuss the course of the ongoing UN-led direct negotiations between President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. The agenda of todays meeting also includes the restructuring of the National Council with a view to rendering it more effective. Presidential Commissioner will meet today Ozdil Nami, advisor to the Turkish Cypriot leader, with a view to codify the positions of the two sides in Cyprus regarding the authorities of the federal government. Christofias and Talat began direct negotiations under the UN auspices in September with a view to reach a settlement of the problem of Cyprus, divided since the Turkish invasion of 1974. They are set to meet again on Tuesday. [02] FOREIGN MINISTER BRUSSELSCypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou has said he would like to see more progress in the direct negotiations between President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.Speaking before traveling to Brussels to attend the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council, Kyprianou said we always anticipate progress, but just as the President has remarked, this is a process which will take time and we should not expect at every meeting to say whether there has been progress or not. We had warned from the start that this would be a difficult and time-consuming procedure and that we must be prepared for it, the Minister said, adding that ideally, what we want is at every meeting to make a step forward. Referring to the issues that will be examined during the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting on Monday - to be chaired by Bernard Kouchner, the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, - which will prepare the European Council meeting in December, Kyprianou said that it will be devoted to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the political and security situation in Iraq and a discussion on civilian crisis management capabilities. [03] IACOVOU - NAMIPresidential Commissioner George Iacovou said that the codification of the positions of the two sides in Cyprus regarding the authorities of the federal government will be on the agenda of a meeting he will be having with Ozdil Nami, advisor to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, on Monday.Speaking to reporters in Limassol, Iacovou said that during Monday`s meeting ``we will deal with the codification of the positions of the two sides on issues regarding the authorities of the federal government mainly and we will examine some issues concerning the executive authority.`` Commenting on the course of direct talks between the leaders of the two communities, President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Talat, Iacovou said that although there were no conclusions yet, ``we must have reserved optimism,`` noting that an assessment of the course of the talks may be made ``when we finish the first chapter, which has to do with governance, and then begin discussing the issue of properties.`` Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |