NICOSIA - Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said on Wednesday he was ready to reach a workable solution with Turkish Cypriots over the island's decades-old division, saying failure would be devastating.
"We want a workable solution as soon as possible," he told journalists ahead of a meeting on Friday with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
"At the same time, we believe it is not productive to act in haste without the necessary preparation that would allow progress to be achieved.
"We do not want to have delays. We do not have the time. This time we must succeed. A new failure would be devastating for the future of our people -- Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots."
Christofias said he was "ready to listen carefully to what Mr Talat says are the obstacles and problems."
He called on Talat to honour a UN-backed deal signed with his predecessor, Tassos Papadopoulos, that outlined a twin-tracked process aimed at resuming peace talks. The July 8, 2006, accord has remained on the shelf despite both sides signing up to it.
Talat has since suggested that he wants to divert from that arrangement, preferring direct negotiations instead.
"We expect and anticipate that Mr Talat too will honour his own signature on the agreement so that we can move forward," Christophias said, adding that it was the only one on the table and enjoyed support from both the UN Security Council and the European Union.
Turkey has urged the EU and the UN to base new reunification talks on a plan rejected by Greek Cypriots in 2004.
Although Talat and Turkey suggest they would rather ditch the July 8 process, the Greek Cypriot leader said he would go to Friday's meeting to "listen" while stressing he was committed to that agreement.
"I can't simply throw it in the bin because the powerful don't want it; we might as well throw Christofias in the dustbin as well."
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north following an Athens-engineered coup to unite the island with Greece.
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan proposed a plan that would have ended the division, while offering a significant degree of autonomy to both sides.
The plan was rejected by Greek Cypriots but accepted by Turkish Cypriots in 2004 referendums held on both sides of the island.
And Christofias appeared to rule out resuming talks based on the Annan Plan.
"We have to look ahead and not constantly turn back to the past and to positions which are not constructive or productive."
He also called on Cypriots to be patient and not expect too much too soon.
"Give us some time ... We can't solve the Cyprus problem in a month ... We can't do everything at once."
Christofias was elected last month on a platform of pushing for a quick resolution to the problem, which made virtually no progress under his predecessor.
He reiterated what he said in Brussels last week that he hoped the talks with Talat could be held in a spirit of goodwill.
"We will attend the meeting of March 21 with goodwill and ready for hard work.
"The continuation of the status quo is not to the benefit of either Greek or Turkish Cypriots. We are convinced that if we act first and foremost as Cypriots ... the chances of reaching a solution in the interest of the people of Cyprus will be maximised."
Christofias said he was also ready to talk to Ankara as well.
"I'm more than ready to talk to the Turkish leadership but the question is; are they ready to talk to me?"
His victory over the hardline Papadopoulos has raised hopes for a new drive to end Cyprus's 34-year-old division, which has also been an obstacle to Turkey's efforts to gain membership of the European Union.
Talat heads the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), proclaimed in 1983 and recognised only by Ankara.
Greek Cypriot rejection of the 2004 reunification plan, meant that a divided island joined the European Union that year.
cc/al

03/19/2008 12:02 GMT