Q: In ten weeks' time, the European Union will determine, including Cyprus, the new members of the European family. In case Cyprus decided to be a candidate to the European Union, how will that affect your good mission and the future of the high-level post?

SG: Well, I think as you know, the two leaders are coming to see me here on the 3rd and 4th of October for me to assess with them what progress has been made since our last meeting in Paris. We are going to continue our efforts and try and make progress as quickly as we can. If, by the time of the accession, the issues have not been resolved, I expect our talks to continue beyond that –continue our talks beyond the EU accession.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, if Cyprus is accepted, excluding the Turkish Cypriots, what do you think the future of the talks will be?

SG: Well, it will perhaps make things a bit more difficult, but the problem of the divided island will still persist and we'll have to continue our efforts to try and find a solution. And if we do find a solution, then of course, the EU will have to decide what it does.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, you gave them some instructions in Paris, to both leaders, and you hope the last time we talked to you that it's going to be a give-and-take process. How were those instructions you gave them perceived? Is any progress made?

SG: Well, Alvaro de Soto is coming in today to brief me and I think I will have a better sense after I've talked to him. I hope they did make some progress and they are both going to be here to tell me what they intend to do and what measures we are going to take to push the process ahead. And so I have not given up hope. We are still persisting.