LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) received on Thursday European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen who is currently in Cyprus within the scope of new negotiation process.
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and TRNC Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas also attended the meeting.
Denktas and Verheugen released a joint statement to press after their meeting.
Verheugen said that they had an interesting, friendly and constructive meeting with Denktas and added that they had taken up recent situation and some points of negotiation process.
Verheugen said that he encouraged Denktas for continuing his constructive manner which he had shown in New York and negotiations started today, adding that he promised Denktas that EU would do its best to support the efforts. He said that he repeated their assistance commitment for Turkish side's catching up with Greek Cypriot side after the solution and the entrance of a united Cyprus to the EU.
Denktas said that they had taken up derogation issue and how derogations would be a part of EU basic law. He added, ''it is seen that there are ways to do this. We will continue working.''
(GC-AÖ) 19.02.2004