LEFKOSA - The preparations started by the concerned sides in Cyprus prior to the negotiations on February 19, are at the last stage.
United Nations (U.N.) which will play the role of mediator and European Union (EU) which targets to admit a united Cyprus as a member, have also speeded up their studies.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto will have meetings in some European capitals before coming to the island. De Soto will have meetings in Dublin, Ireland, the EU Term President about Cyprus issue on Monday. U.N. sources told Turkish Cypriot Agency (TAK) that De Soto would inform Irish officials about the historic result taken in New York last week.
De Soto will later proceed to Brussels, Belgium and meet with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen on Tuesday. At the meeting, preparatory studies of Cyprus negotiations that will start in Lefkosa on February 19 and the studies to be undertaken by the technical committee formed by EU Commission will be taken up.
EU Commission will help in economic issues of Annan plan, and in writing and implementation of the laws. There will be at least four and at maximum six members in the Committee that will be present on the island during the negotiations. The Committee will deal with concerns in legal and economic issues covered by Annan plan, closely monitor the studies of Turkish and Greek technical committees and help when necessary.
Meanwhile, De Soto is expected to come from Brussels to Cyprus on Tuesday evening.
Brian Kelly, the spokesman of the U.N. Peace Keeping Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP) said that the preparations at Lefkosa International Airport were completed. Kelly stated that the negotiations would be held at ''Lefkosa Conference Centre'' at the airport.
Meanwhile, sources said that the press could only cover the first day of the negotiations and a news blackout could come to agenda for the next days.
(Öª-AÖ) 16.02.2004