President Talat responding to a question regarding the reunification and 8^th July agreement, stated that the Turkish Cypriot side had many times reiterated its readiness for starting the high-level comprehensive negotiations on the substantial issues of the Cyprus problem and continued to do so after the 8^th July agreement.

Reminding that the Turkish Cypriot side had proposed the establishment of ten working groups and technical committees which would discuss the substantial issues and subsequently the start of negotiations that would take up all the issues. President added that they had expressed their readiness in this direction and proposed this at every meeting.

President Talat stressed that they wanted the negotiations to start as soon as possible within the framework of a time-table and schedule without any extension in the process. Continuing, President pointed out that although the Greek Cypriot side hasn’t got the same approach, Turkish Cypriot side did not want to delay this process anymore.

Talat reminded that the Turkish Cypriot side had proposed a list of substantial issues to be discussed by the working groups and technical committees.

Responding to a question, President Talat said that the recent non-papers submitted by the Greek Cypriot side, according to their description was related to the daily issues to be taken up by the technical committees and the difference between the technical committees and the working groups was made by the 8^th July agreement by asking the question of how the substantial issues of the Cyprus problem would be solved.

Asked his views regarding the direct trade regulation during his last visit to Brussels, President Talat expressed the hope that the EU would implement the regulation, but noted that the Papadopoulos administration would do its utmost to prevent this from happening.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avcý on Saturday (24 March) went to the US in order to attend the annual conference of the American Turkish Council-Turkish American Business Council.

Avcý firslty attended a dinner given in his honor by the Turkish Permanent Representative to the UN Baki Ilkin in New York before moving on to Washington.

Foreign Minister Avcý who will attend the reception given by the American Turkish Council-Turkish American Business Council is expected to attend the conference’s defense and security relations session today and deliver a speech on the second day of the conference.

Avcý will visit the TRNC’s Representative Office in Washington and meet with the representatives of Turkish associations in particular and of other various institutions and associations. Avcý will also give interviews to some press organizations.

THE SPEAKER OF THE RUSSIAN COUNCIL OF FEDERATION MIRONOV: “I DON’T ACCEPT CONCEPTS SUCH AS EMBARGO AND ISOLATION IN THE 21^st CENTURY”

The Speaker of the Council of Federation in the Upper House of the Russian Parliament Sergei Mironov said that he did not accept the concepts such as embargo and the isolation in the 21^st Century.

The Council Speaker was commenting on the Cyprus issue before his visit to Turkey today (26 March).

Responding to a question on the international isolation imposed on the TRNC Mironov said: “I don’t accept the concepts such as embargo and the isolation in the 21^st Century. For me, imposing embargoes and isolations on any community is nonsense. Every community should learn to live together by taking their benefits, interests and cultures into consideration. We see that national interests were not harmed by the ongoing process of globalization.”

Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot people, should equally share all kind of rights, such as the freedom of movement and right to trade enjoyed by their Greek Cypriot neighbors, Mironov stressed that all these rights should be regulated in line with international laws and regulations.