CYPRUS: Diplomatic efforts to achieve the reunification of Cyprus did not end yesterday with a dramatic last-minute deal, but fizzled out after the Greek Cypriots made it clear they were not prepared to agree to the fourth version of the UN plan, tabled last year, writes Michael Jansen in Bürgenstock, Switzerland
This was the third and most sustained effort to solve the Cyprus problem since the de facto partition of the island after the Turkish army occupied the north in 1974.
No fresh attempt can be expected in the near future.
Failure became evident when the delegation's spokesman, Mr Kypros Chrysostomides, said: "The UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, met with the President of the Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and informed him of the final changes to the plan.
"President Papadopoulos expressed the view that the proposed changes are not satisfactory, and discussed with the Secretary-General the suggestions put forward by the Greek Cypriot side [on Tuesday] but were not included in the list of changes proposed by the Secretary-General. If included, such changes would have made it more balanced."
The Greek Cypriot refusal to accept the plan contrasted sharply with the open support extended by the Turkish side which endorses the foundation agreement for a Swiss-style federal state. In the view of Turkish observers, 75 per cent of Turkish demands were accommodated in the plan. Greek Cypriots consulted by The Irish Times agreed with this assessment.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot teams came here with the aim of negotiating a final version of the plan acceptable to both sides. However, during this time the sides engaged in bilateral talks with the UN facilitator, Mr Alvaro de Soto, not each other.
Indirect talks continued with the arrival of the Greek and Turkish premiers, Mr Costas Karamanlis and Racep Tayyip Erdogan, early this week. The main text, 200 pages long, with 9,000 pages of annexes, was handed to the parties only on Monday. Once it was clear that they could not agree on 13 outstanding "talking points", Mr Annan settled them, more to the dissatisfaction of the Greek than the Turkish side.
The Greek Cypriots and Greece came under great pressure to reach an agreement. The US and the European Union prefer a reunited rather than a divided Cyprus to enter the bloc on May 1st. But this is unlikely.
The UN failure to secure the support of both Mr Papadopoulos and the leaders of Greek Cypriot political parties who accompanied him here means they will not recommend the plan to voters set to decide its fate in the April 20th referendum.
Polls show that at least 75 per cent of Greek Cypriots are expected to vote against the plan while a majority of Turkish Cypriots will vote for it.
This means that only the internationally recognised republic will join the EU, and EU legislation will not be applied to the Turkish Cypriot breakaway state. But since Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leaders adopted a positive stand on the plan, Turkey is likely to be given a date for the commencement of EU accession talks by the end of the year, and Turkish Cypriot requests for EU financial assistance could be granted.