Cyprus' Two Sides Pledge to Negotiate for Solution

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 16, 2003

Cyprus' Two Sides Pledge to Negotiate for Solution

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Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash Wednesday reiterated their commitment to continuing negotiations on the basis of a UN plan, in an effort to reach a Cyprus solution by the end of February.

Clerides and Denktash met for the first time since Nov. 11 in the presence of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Cyprus envoy Alvaro de Soto.

A statement issued later by UN mission in Cyprus said the two leaders have agreed to meet again on Jan. 17 to decide a program for intensive negotiations in the coming period.

"The leaders reiterated their commitment to negotiation on the basis of the UN chief's revised proposal on Dec. 10, 2002, with a view to complete an agreement by the end of February so that informed decisions can be taken by the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots in separate referenda on March 30, 2003," the statement said.

Annan has submitted his revised Cyprus peace plan to the two sides, pushing them to reunite the island before Feb. 28.

The statement added that the work of the technical committees will continue in parallel.

Cyprus has been divided into the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sidessince 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern part of the Mediterranean island after a failed pro-Athens coup.

The two ad hoc bicommunal committees were holding talks inside the UN-controlled buffer zone to discuss the laws and treaties of apost-settlement Cyprus.

Reports said the committees were to draft 35 laws which will become the legal foundation of a new Cyprus.

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