Following a two-day break in the Cyprus negotiations, the talks resumed today (March 1).

Prior to today’s meeting, TRNC and Turkish officials met at the TRNC Presidential Palace yesterday (February 29), where they evaluated last week’s meetings.

Meanwhile, parallel to the Cyprus talks, the technical committees that were formed on the two sides under the auspices of the UN General Secretariat are continuing with their studies. The issues that the technical committees are dealing with include federal laws, international agreements and economic and finance issues.

Speaking to the press after last Friday’s (February 26) meeting, President Denktas said approximately 40-44 laws needed by the new joint government must be passed before going to a referendum. Pointing out that Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, had said that the new joint government needed 114 laws to be passed and if all these laws were not prepared he wouldn’t go to a referendum, the President said Papadopoulos said this because he knew it would not be physically possible to pass all these (114) laws that are being dealt with by the technical committees.

President Denktas said: "Perhaps it’s because they think that on 1 May 2004 they’ll enter the EU as Cyprus that this is a tactical approach. They are planning to enter the EU as Cyprus without putting the Annan Plan, which we know that they don’t want but, are portraying themselves as if they are in favour of it, to a referendum. This is not settling the issue. Naturally, we too will have to take a counter measure. I hope this is not what they are planning".

Explaining that during the give and take process, the required level of progress had not been achieved, President Denktas said the Turkish Cypriot side would continue to do its best because this was his duty to the Turkish Cypriot people and to the people in Turkey, who expect a Cyprus settlement to be reached.

TRNC Prime Minister, Mehmet Ali Talat, stated that studies for the Founding State’s Constitution had been speeded up and for this purpose a delegation consisting of a few professors on legal issues and MP’s would go to the Turkish Grand National Assembly at the beginning of this week. He said: "To secure logistic support and benefit from opportunities provided by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on this issue, I spoke with Mr. Bulent Arinc and got a positive response".

For his part, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Bulent Arinc, said the Turkish Grand National Assembly supported this study and that Turkish political science experts as well as several experts on constitutional matters from some Turkish universities would work together with the TRNC delegation.

The Greek Cypriot daily ‘Haravgi’ reported that coastal radars purchased from Israel and which will be installed along the whole of South Cyprus’ coastline, would arrive in South Cyprus next month.