Nicosia: Yes to resuming talks
Nicosia is ready to re-engage in a negotiation process that could lead to the reunification of Cyprus as long as Greek Cypriots are given the chance to vote on any deal before it is adopted, the Cypriot government spokesman said yesterday. Kypros Chrysostomides also repeated the government’s position that it is not willing to allow the talks to be subject to international arbitration. He said he had no information on whether UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was poised to appoint a new special negotiator to facilitate talks between the Cypriot and Turkish-occupied sides. Nicosia has said it is not willing to revive the Annan plan, which Greek Cypriots rejected in a referendum on April 24 last year. EU leaders have given Turkey until October 3 of this year to extend its customs union to include Cyprus and the other nine new member states.
