The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, within the framework of his invitation to both parties to respond to whether they would hold separate referendums on the third version of his plan on March 30, yesterday had separate meetings with TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos.

The UN Secretary General had his first meeting with Papadopulos, and then with President Denktas.

As the guarantor states, Turkey, Greece and Britain also participated in yesterday’s meetings.

In a press conference at around 18:00, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, said negotiations were continuing and he would be meeting the two leaders later again in the evening, after which he could give a detailed explanation.

Annan stressed "sometimes getting a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ takes quite a lot of doing".

Annan said that if the opportunity was missed, he was not sure if it was going to come around for a long long time and added he doubted if it would come around again during his term as Secretary General.

Following the press conference, Annan also got together with the representatives of the guarantor states Turkey, Greece and Britain, who were also in the Hague.

After his meeting with the representatives of the guarantor states, Annan held new meetings with the two parties.

TRNC President, Rauf Denktas, and Greek Cypriot leader, Tasos Papadopulos, got together with the UN Secretary General in the very early hours of March 11.

Annan’s second meeting with the two leaders was completed at 04:15 this morning.

Following his meeting with two leaders, Annan held another meeting with the representatives of the guarantor powers.

No result was achieved from "the marathon negotiations" hosted by the UN Secretary General, and attended by the two parties on the island.

Following the completion of a 19 hour long meeting, in a statement issued in the early hours of this morning, Annan stated: "We have reached the end of the road and unfortunately I could not say that the negotiations ended successfully."

Annan said the reason why the negotiations did not end successfully was because of the insistence of TRNC President Denktas on the recognition of his state, and the Greek side’s request to give back all rights back to those Greek Cypriots who left the North of the island 29 years ago.

In a press conference after the meeting ended, TRNC President Rauf Denktas said: "The UN Secretary General knew that we could not accept the present form of the plan. We conveyed our concerns both orally and in writing. We met with Papadopulos two times. He also wants comprehensive and important changes, and has refused the part of the plan on guarantors. He said ‘Denktas rejected’, however, this is not true, both sides had objections."

President Denktas said the reason why the negotiations ended as they did was because of the pressure exerted by the Greek Cypriot side.

President Denktas said the Turkish Cypriot side tried its best to get a positive result from the negotiations.