CYPRUS: Greek and Turkish Cypriots faced critical decisions yesterday after the UN Secretary General invited them to a round of peace talks that would give them just two months to unify their island in time for EU entry.
The Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, who backs a deal, said he would attend the proposed talks starting next week, but it remained unclear whether Mr Rauf Denktash, chief negotiator for his enclave, would do so. Greek Cypriot officials declined any immediate comment.
Faced with a May 1st date for the Mediterranean island, divided on ethnic lines for three decades, to join the European Union, Mr Kofi Annan called leaders of the two communities to New York on February 10th.
Diplomats in Nicosia said he wanted the talks completed by March 25th. Negotiators would then take another week to put finishing touches to a draft to be put to referendums in both parts of Cyprus on April 21st.
"The Secretary General has appealed to the leaders to summon the political will needed to bring about this result in the short time available," the United Nations said in a statement.
It said Mr Annan had issued his invitation because of "encouraging contacts" in recent days with senior Turkish, Greek and Greek Cypriot officials.
The prospect of EU entry for Cyprus has given impetus to talks that have failed time and again, due to inability to agree over how much power would go to a central government and how much to zonal leaders in a federal state.
Without a peace deal, only the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot part would accede to the EU, depriving Turkish Cypriots of the benefits of membership and possibly complicating Turkey's own application to join. - (Reuters)