Secretary-General's press conference with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitas (unofficial transcript)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Prime Minister,

Let me first thank you for the warm reception you've reserved for me and my team. Greece plays an important role in the United Nations and in the international community, particularly today when you also hold the presidency of the European Union.

I am extremely happy to be here for us to discuss the issue of Cyprus, which is a long-standing matter, and as you have indicated this is an issue that has been under discussion and negotiation for many years and this particular phase, this intensive phase of negotiation, began in 1999. My envoy, Mr. Alvaro de Soto, who is here with us this evening, has been intensively working with the parties and with the motherlands to press ahead and to get us where we are today. I want to also pay tribute to the work that he and his team have done.

I think that if I am here today, it is because I see an opportunity, a unique opportunity, where we can get a united Cyprus in. The EU takes its decision on the 16th of April and if we are going to get a united Cyprus in the EU by that date, there are certain urgent tasks which need to be done. I hope we can get an agreement, an agreement which will be put to referenda in the two communities by 30 March to allow time for them to enter the European Union together.

I think the Prime Minister has been very eloquent as to the benefits of entry into the Union for both parties in Cyprus. I think I would want to add that not only would it be good for the people in Cyprus but I think it would also be good for this region, it would be good for EU relations with the region and it would be good for Turkish-Greece relationship. The benefits are so enormous that I hope we will all see the reasons and the benefits for moving forward.

It is an opportunity and a window that is not going to remain open forever. And it is going to take courage, determination, and a vision for us to get there and I know the [leadership is capable of this].

As the Prime Minister said I am coming here from Turkey where I had very good discussions with the Turkish leadership. I left very encouraged because they also indicated their strong support for my efforts [inaudible] would convey to me in our discussions this evening and has done so here in his earlier comments. They would want to see us settle this issue within the timeframe I have indicated and I look forward to working with Greece and Turkey in the critical period ahead as we try to bring this to closure.

Tomorrow I leave for Cyprus and as the Prime Minister has indicated, I will give them a document. But the document will not be a surprise because we have been talking to them and Alvaro de Soto has been in contact with the leaders on the ground and with Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos from the 16th after his election. He has also kept the motherland informed. So we have ideas of their concerns, their worries, and they also have some ideas of the proposals I will be giving to them to bring them together so that they can put the agreement to referenda in time for the accession to the EU.

I look forward to my visit to the island. It will be my first meeting with Mr. Papadopoulos. I hear good things about him and I look forward to discussing this crucial issue with him. I have had the chance to work with Mr. [Rauf] Denktash and Mr. [Glafcos] Clerides in the past and I am looking forward to working with the new Greek Cypriot leader. And I hope in the not too distant future we will have something to celebrate. Thank you very much.

Q: …to the Prime Minister: After what you heard from the Secretary-General, are you more optimistic than yesterday when you stated that unless the Turkish positions change you do not see how an agreement can be reached within the deadlines?

PM: I cannot answer on the experiences of the Secretary-General. I asked him about his experiences, he himself can answer you. Mr. Annan informed me about the contact he had, he outlined that there are possibilities and always accept that there are possibilities but I would like to see them in practice.

Q: Secretary-General, to what extent would you say your latest thoughts on the Cyprus issue would be helpful to make headway towards a negotiated settlement by the timetable?

SG: I believe it should help move us forward, and also not only help move us forward but also bridge the differences and get the two parties to come to terms. And obviously I came here hoping to make progress, hoping to get the parties to come to an understanding that will allow us to achieve the goal we have set ourselves.

I think the timeframe is important, it is a real one. It is not an artificial deadline given the fact that, as I referred to, the 16th of April. And that you need to have referenda by the 30th. So if you work backwards you realize that you do have a timeframe within which to operate. We have been discussing this issue, as I said, for a long time and my Envoy has been very active in the last couple of weeks in trying to obtain reactions to the plans that I have put forward, so the revisions that I will be giving them, the revised documents they will have tomorrow, I hope should be helpful. Thank you.

Q: Would you say that these revisions are as balanced as the proposal you made on the 10th of December?

SG: I am very happy that you agree with us that the plan we put forward was balanced and this would also be equally balanced. This is zero-sum game and we will keep it balanced. Thank you.