Hurriyet DN Online with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 17, 2009 14:59
Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders reached consensus on some European Union-related issues in their meeting Tuesday, but disagreements remain on certain topics, a United Nations official said. (UPDATED)
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias met at the buffer zone in Nicosia for their 23rd meeting under the ongoing peace negotiations. U.N. Secretary-General's special representative Taye Brook Zerihoun also attended the meeting.
Zerihoun said that the leaders held around a one-and-a-half hour tete-a-tete meeting, and then Turkish and Greek Cypriot delegations held a two-hour meeting, the state-run Anatolian Agency reported.
The leaders would meet again on March 24 to continue discussing EU issues, Zerihoun said, adding that the leaders had reached consensus on some of EU-related issues, however there were still disagreements that remain.
After the EU-related issues, the leaders will start discussing economy, the agency said.
SOLUTION UNDER UN
Talat said the Turkish Cypriots want a solution to the Cyprus issue under the UN parameters with a federal system.
"Our position in Cyprus negotiations are fairly clear, and we have no confederation demand," Talat told reporters after the meeting, Anatolia reported.
Turkish Cypriots want a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation set up by two founder states that had equal status and two nations who would enjoy political equality, Talat added. "This is federation, not confederation," he was quoted as saying by the agency.
The Cypriot leaders relaunched reunification talks in September 2008, which have so far showed few signs of tangible progress, after a four-year hiatus. Cyprus was split in 1964 when Turkish Cypriots were forced to withdraw into enclaves.