NEW YORK - The United Nations (U.N.) asked guarantor states to put pressure on sides on the issue of Cyprus negotiations.
Sources said on Wednesday that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto had a meeting on the issue with Greece, which was a guarantor state, on Wednesday morning.
U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard confirmed that U.N. had contact with guarantor states. Eckhard said that U.N. asked guarantor states to hold negotiations to overcome their disagreements and stated that U.N. also asked guarantor states to put pressure on sides in Cyprus to be able to put an agreement which would be reached before May 1 to referendum simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, who is currently in New York, had working meetings with TRNC delegation on Wednesday morning.
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas, Turkish Foreign Ministry Cyprus Department Chief Ertugrul Apakan, Ambassador Deniz Bolukbasi and Turkey's Permanent Representative to U.N. Umit Pamir also attended the meeting.
Diplomatic sources said that TRNC side was working on answers to questions that were asked by U.N. Secretary General in Tuesday's meeting and refrained from giving details due to secrecy principle.
Tripartite Cyprus talks will continue between U.N. Secretary General Annan, TRNC delegation headed by President Denktas and Greek Cypriot delegation headed by Papadopoulos as of 11 p.m. Turkish local time on Wednesday.
TRNC sources said that Denktas and accompanying delegation were preparing as if they are going to leave New York on Thursday.
(EÖ-AÖ) 11.02.2004