Cyprus Leaders Issue Joint Statement
The leaders of the two main communities of Cyprus, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat and Mr Demetris Christofias, released a joint statement on Tuesday 30th March 2010 saying they were encouraged by the progress made so far in the ongoing reunification talks and expressed their conviction that ‘with perseverance we shall achieve a comprehensive settlement’.
The statement was released before a break in the negotiations for elections to take place in the TRNC on April 18th 2010. The joint statement was read out by the Secretary-General’s adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer. We have posted the statement in full below:
STATEMENT OF THE TWO LEADERS
30 March 2010
We have been engaged in a serious effort to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem in the shortest possible time. We express our appreciation to the United Nations Secretary General for his mission of Good Offices entrusted to him by the Security Council and his efforts aimed at finding a mutually agreed solution of the Cyprus problem.
After many meetings that have taken place to date, and our discussions on all aspects of the Cyprus problem, we are encouraged by the important progress we have made so far on the Chapters of Governance and Power Sharing, EU Matters and the Economy and we are convinced that with perseverance we shall achieve a comprehensive settlement.
We underscore the fact that negotiations are being conducted under the overriding principle of the ‘integrated whole approach’ which means that ‘nothing is agreed unless everything is agreed’.
We are convinced that our mutual concern for the common good of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots and our will for a comprehensive solution will soon lead us to an exhaustive discussion of the remaining aspects of the Cyprus problem and the overcoming of the divergent positions soon, so as to achieve a mutually acceptable solution that will be put to separate simultaneous referenda.
Whilst the negotiations remain confidential it is recognised that the leaders may explain to their communities the progress made so far and the differences that still need to be resolved.
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