Annan Requests Prime Minister Gul To Send Representative To The Hague

NEW YORK - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan sent a message to Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on Wednesday asking him to send a representative to the meeting to be held between Annan, TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos in the Hague on March 10.
Annan sent this message to Prime Minister Gul as Turkey was the guarantor state in Cyprus and as the meeting in the Hague carried importance, sources said.
U.N. Spokesman Fred Eckhard said that U.N. Secretary General sent similar messages to Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
U.N. Spokesman said that ''U.N. Secretary General told in his messages that he expected guarantor states to extend support to his efforts so that the Hague meeting could be held with success and that referendums could be held both in northern and southern Cyprus on March 30.''
Responding to the question of A.A correspondent, Eckhard said that U.N. Secretary General was hopeful that the sides would tell him during their meeting in the Hague on March 10 that they were ready to hold referendums on the plan on March 30.
(Öª) 05.03.2003