U.N. Special Envoy To Cyprus De Soto: Discussion Of Core Issues Have Started

BUERGENSTOCK - United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto said on Thursday that discussion of core issues had started as parties to Cyprus issue came to Buergenstock, Switzerland to join the quartet conference.
Delegations of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Turkey, Greek Cypriot side and Greece are in Buergenstock to start the quartet conference to be held as a part of ongoing Cyprus negotiations to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue till May 1.
De Soto told a press conference that parties might attend a quartet meeting from now on, but their real aim was to bring together the parties under a single umbrella.
Noting that work on derogations continued, De Soto said that the U.N. made its own contributions to the process.
Defining the demand of Turkish side that derogations should resist to any legal challenge as ''rightful,'' De Soto said that their efforts continued.
De Soto did not say anything on possibility of a quartet meeting of parties on Friday.
U.N. Special Envoy to Cyprus De Soto said that TRNC President Rauf Denktas granted full authorization to TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat to negotiate in Switzerland and drew attention that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos transferred his authority to his deputy when going to Brussels to attend the spring meeting of the European Council.
De Soto did not give any information about position of the parties and the recent developments in Cyprus talks.
Four parties were under the same roof and in contact with each other related with Cyprus issue, which was an unfamiliar thing, De Soto pointed out.
De Soto said that Buergenstock meetings did not resembled U.N. conferences and to that end, the meetings did not have any definite schedule.
Meetings would mostly be held between himself and delegations or between delegations, De Soto stated.
De Soto said that Annan would come to Buergenstock a few days before the meetings ended.
Alvaro De Soto expressed hope that parties would agree on the revised U.N. plan about Cyprus.
De Soto defined the dinner attended by delegations from TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece last night was a ''social event'' and said that it was not a negotiation.
However, Cyprus issue was naturally the focal point of the dinner, De Soto said.
De Soto pointed to the compromise reached in New York before the Cyprus negotiation process started when he was recalled about the uneasiness of Turkish side about the failure in holding the quartet conference.
Alvaro De Soto said that the compromise reached between two parties in New York foresaw ''contributions of guarantor powers Turkey and Greece in case two parties in the island could not reach any solution'' and asked everybody to consider that meeting as the quartet conference.
De Soto stated that Buergenstock meetings started as parties came to that place and still continued.
Noting that delegations were having their lunch or dinner in the same place, De Soto said thus, he had the opportunity to chat with all leaders.
De Soto noted that there was nothing planned when asked about whether or not a quartet meeting would take place on Friday. But, he said, they did not ignore the quartet meeting alternative.
Asked if the meetings to be held after prime ministers of Turkey and Greece came to Buergenstock would take place in the same framework or be defined as a social event, De Soto said that it might be, but there were many things that the prime ministers would do.
De Soto said that they wanted to give more time to both sides to understand the text to be formed in the negotiations better when asked if the simultaneous referenda to take place in the island would be postponed to a later date.
They could need more time due to some steps to be taken by guarantor powers and work related with EU, De Soto stated.
De Soto added, ''what we need here at the end of this month is... a comprehensive settlement and that is now closer than it ever has been in the last 30 years.''
TRNC Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas had stated earlier in the day that delegations from TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece had agreed to meet on Friday as a part of quartet conference taking place in Switzerland.

TURKISH SIDE THINKS WEDNESDAY'S ATMOSPHERE OF UNCERTAINTY OVERCOME
Atmosphere of uncertainty about which Turkish side was uneasy was overcome in four-party Cyprus talks which continues in Swiss Alpine resort of Buergenstock, sources said on Thursday.
Diplomatic sources said that U.N. Secretary General's Special Envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto who assumed a more constructive attitude since yesterday launched initiatives to find a middle course.
Stressing that a dinner at which parties met on Wednesday was a type of four-party talks, diplomatic sources said that a similar gathering was also planned for Friday evening.
The same sources underlined that Greece and Turkish Cypriot side sat around a table together for the first time since 1974 on Wednesday and stated that four-party talks would be held at this format which was found by De Soto.
Parties are expected to meet at dinner on Friday after Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul proceeds from Brussels to Buergenstock.
Meanwhile, sources said that Gul conveyed his concern to De Soto on Wednesday that four-way negotiotions had not started yet and noted that he came to Buergenstock despite elections in Turkey.
(AA) 25.03.2004