LEFKOSA - TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Wednesday that EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen and EU didn't have any status about Cyprus negotiations.
Speaking to the press after meeting with U.N. special envoy Alvaro De Soto, TRNC President Denktas said that they discussed Thursday's programme, adding that a leaders' meeting would be held in the morning and the committees would convene in the afternoon.
TRNC President Rauf Denktas stated that they would also decide how many days a week they would come together during Thursday's meeting, noting that after the leaders' meeting, EU Commissioner Verheugen would meet with him and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos for half an hour.
Stressing that Verheugen and the EU didn't have any status regarding the negotiations, Denktas said that ''we will see how EU could help us. Verheugen will also visit us at 3.00 p.m. and we will discuss in details our derogations and how they could be included in EU laws.''
Denktas said that they brought onto agenda the issue of making amendments in Annan plan during the negotiations in New York, adding that it was accepted to discuss those amendments.
''Earlier, they told us not to ask for much amendments, and not to get out of the framework. They had even thought of submitting blank sheet of papers to referendum. This attitude has changed. Now there is some flexibility,'' said Denktas.
De Soto said in his part that he met with the two leaders, adding that the first meeting of Cyprus negotiations would start at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday. He added that the technical committees would convene at 3.30 p.m. the same day.
(Öª-AÖ) 18.02.2004