Military

DATE=11/10/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-N / CYPRUS (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The latest round of United Nations mediated talks on Cyprus have wrapped up (today / Friday) without a political settlement on reuniting the Mediterranean island. Lisa Schlein reports the negotiations will resume in Geneva in late January.

TEXT: Cyprus has been divided since 1974. That was when Turkey invaded the northern part of the island in response to a coup by supporters of union with Greece. The United Nations has been involved in numerous efforts to end the 26 year old division. None have succeeded.

United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan is using his powers of persuasion to see if he can change this catalogue of failures. He says the negotiations are difficult, but they are positive because the two parties are still at the table and are still talking.

///ANNAN ACT///

And as long as we are talking, I think that the prospects for progress are there and we should be hopeful. What I would also say is that we recently really got into substance and it's not just procedural. And, we are really becoming quite engaged now and I think that is good progress.

///END ACT///

U-N Secretary-General Annan says he shared his assessment of where things stood with the parties and told them where he thought things should go from here. Because of a news blackout surrounding these talks, he declines to give details. However, Mr. Annan says he asked the two sides to reflect on these thoughts between now and when they meet again in January.

Mr. Annan held separate meetings with Greek Cypriot President, Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash before he left Geneva for Quatar.

Because the parties are not talking to each other directly, U-N mediator, Alvaro de Soto shuttles between the two delegations conveying each other's positions. He says it is difficult to measure progress because there are no face-to-face talks.

///DE SOTO ACT///

No actual give and take in the usual sense is occurring. So, I can't report to you that today it was agreed to do such and such a thing. That's not how the progress is going to be measured. I'm afraid it's going to be slow and probably drawn out and we shall probably only know if it works once we have a package deal at the very end since nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

///END ACT///

Mr. de Soto says he believes certain external factors could play a positive role in moving these talks toward a successful resolution. He says the Greek Cypriot bid to join the European Union could energize the process in a positive way. He says the Turkish part of the island does not want to be left outside the European Union. (Signed)

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