NEW YORK - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has said that the talks between Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides would continue even if the EU starts full membership talks with the Greek Cypriot side.
Responding to questions of a group of Greek and Greek Cypriot reporters, Annan said that the EU would decide what to do on this matter and added ''but our job would be a little bit tougher if the EU starts membership talks with Cyprus.''
Although the meeting program of Denktas and Clerides is not announced officially yet, diplomatic sources are saying that Annan would separately meet with each leader and then the two leaders would get together. Sources said, ''Annan was planning to bring together Denktas and Clerides at dinner on Thursday night and hoping to make progress in the talks by creating a friendly atmosphere.''
Meanwhile, Denktas who came to New York on Monday is staying at Millennium Hotel. Denktas will meet U.S. State Department Cyprus Special Representative Tom Weston on Wednesday. On the same day, he is expected to meet with Britain's Cyprus representative Sir David Hannay.
Greek and Greek Cypriot diplomatic sources told the A.A that Clerides will meet with Weston on Wednesday at lunch. Weston will leave New York on Wednesday night and he will not be in the city during Denktas-Clerides talks on Thursday and Friday.
Denktas and Clerides will leave New York on Saturday.