Upon being invited by President Mehmet Ali Talat to attend the 22^nd anniversary celebrations of the establishment of the TRNC, the ancestor of the II. Lusignan King Jacques, Prince Philippe Roux de Lusignan said he believed peace could be achieved through mutual understanding.

The ancestor of the II. Lusignan King Jacques who ruled Cyprus between 1460-1473, Prince Phillipe Roux de Lusignan after stressing that he didn't have any political authority, said he hoped Turkish and Greek Cypriots would live in an atmosphere of friendship on the island.

On being interviewed by the 'Kıbrıs' daily, Prince Philippe Roux de Lusignan said:

"I don't have any political authority and what I'm saying is not a political message but a wish. Cyprus is a beautiful island. Whatever I wish for the people of the world I also wish for the people here. I want there to be peace on the island and for the people to live in peace. In order to live together trust is important. I believe that Cypriots can live together on this island".

Studies to resolve the 40-year long missing persons issue is ongoing and within the framework of its routine meeting the Autonomous Missing Persons Committee met yesterday (17 November) and discussed the required budget to carry out the diggings.

According to information obtained by the Cyprus Turkish News Agency (TAK) correspondent, efforts are under way to secure the necessary finance to enable the Autonomous Missing Persons Committee, which is made up of Greek and Turkish Cypriot members and continues its work under the supervision of the UN, to begin its diggings of the mass graves in April 2006. Following individual diggings carried out in the Kyrenia region as a result of the construction boom taking place, the Committee has decided to carry out diggings in the mass graves and once the building of the anthropology laboratory in the Buffer Zone is completed in the beginning of 2006, the Committee agreed to begin its diggings of the mass graves in April 2006.

Experts stated that an anthropology laboratory was vital to put together the bones exhumed from the graves and it would be an extra cost to carry out further diggings until the laboratory was completed.

It was stated that in order to identify the bones it was important to carry out DNA testing at the jointly administered Genetic Hospital in South Cyprus.