Within the framework routine joint meetings organized by the Slovakian Embassy, some Greek and Turkish Cypriot political party leaders and representatives met at the Ledra Palace Hotel yesterday (9 March) morning. The meeting was hosted by the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) and was also attended by Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat.

Yesterday's meeting was attended by 6 political party leaders and representatives from the TRNC, namely the CTP-BG, the Democrat Party (DP), the Communal Liberation Party (TKP), the United Cyprus Party (BKP) and the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP), and 8 political party leaders and representatives from South Cyprus, namely the Greek Cypriot communist AKEL party, DISI, DIKO, the Social Democrats Movement (EDEK), the United Democrats (EDI), the European Democratic Reformist Party, the Cyprus Greens Party and ADIK.

Issuing a joint statement on behalf of all those who attended the meeting, the Slovakian Ambassador, Jan Varso, pointing out that views were exchanged on the effects of the recent Turkish Cypriot general elections on the peace process, stressed the importance of improving relations between the two side's leaders and political party officials in order to reunite the island on the basis of the Annan Plan.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Prime Minister Talat, explaining that the resumption of the Cyprus negotiations depended on convincing the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said this could happen if the UN Secretary-General engaged in an initiative to restart the negotiations. He said: "The Secretary-General had requested that Greek Cypriot Leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, convey to him in writing a list of all the changes they wanted to make to the Annan Plan. I think he is waiting for this". Prime Minister Talat reiterated that it was necessary for the Greek Cypriot leader to convey to the Secretary-General the Greek Cypriot side's concerns on the Annan Plan as soon as possible.

Continuing, the Prime Minister said the Turkish Cypriot side had to see what the Greek Cypriot side's concerns on the Annan Plan were so that it too could put forward its own concerns in response to theirs. He said the two sides concerns should be overcome and that he was waiting for concrete proposals and ideas from the Greek Cypriot side.

Pointing out that he has always supported such meetings which aim to strengthen the efforts to improve the dialogue between Greek and Turkish Cypriot political parties, learn the two side's concerns and ensure that the two parties understand one another and to find a Cyprus settlement, Prime Minister Talat said, the meeting was held within this framework and was very constructive and fruitful.