LEFKOSA - Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat said his talks Friday with Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias opened "a new era" for peace talks to reunify the divided island.
"As the two leaders we want a solution to the Cyprus problem in the shortest time possible," Talat told reporters after the three-hour meeting at the buffer zone.
Talat qualified the meeting as "a new opening and a new start for the solution of the problem."
Turkish Cypriot president also noted that he would meet Christofias in three months after drawing a "road map" for the comprehensive negotiations.
"I would like to stress that as the two leaders we have no disagreements and we will come together and continue our talks," Christofias told reporters.
Michael Moeller, UN envoy to Cyprus read out earlier a joint statement of the two leaders, saying, "the leaders met today in a very positive and cordial atmosphere and exchanged views on a number of issues, achieving a great degree of convergence. They have decided to ask their respective advisers to meet this coming week in order to setup a number of working groups and technical committees, establish their agendas, and to do so in the most expeditious way possible."
"In taking full responsibility for the conduct of the future negotiations, the leaders have also agreed to meet three months from now to review the work of the working groups and technical committees, and using their results, to start full-fledged negotiations under the auspices of the UN SG," Moeller said.
UN envoy said the leaders also agreed to meet as and when needed prior to the commencement of their formal negotiations.
The issue of the opening of the Yesilirmak crossing and other crossings is also on the agenda for the coming meetings of their advisers, Moeller remarked.
(YMB-AY-AÖ)