Cyprus-Forum.com

[boulio]

I hope alex knocks some sence into these clowns:

http://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/web/welcome.asp

[Saint Jimmy]

How very cool! Our flagship is unleashed! Give 'em hell, Alex!

[Bananiot]

The conference is taking place behind closed doors. We should twist the arm of Alexandros to give us a comprehensive briefing ...

[brother]

Go Alex Go, this is someone who i trust to be a balance, right behind you alex.

[Saint Jimmy]

Uh-oh... there's an article in Politis newspaper today, describing a few very interesting things concerning the RoC's reaction to this conference... The morons didn't even show up

I have no idea how to get that article in English. If anyone knows how to do that, please post it here.

[cannedmoose]

I was also interested in attending but my Ph.D. student budget couldn't quite stretch to the £600 plus that they wanted for this (that's excluding any travel costs).

Although, legally Alex, you should watch what you do say on here as the Conference is being held under Chatham House rules. Anything you do reveal without the person's express permission could cause problems (particularly if it's sensitive).

[-mikkie2-]

Isn't it great. A meeting set up to discuss the Cyprus problem, and the people that are affected do not get to see what is being said.

Typical! The interests of the politicians prevail and the people are ignored as usual.

[brother]

Now that is the truth we can all agree on mikkie.

[Saint Jimmy]

Isn't it great. A meeting set up to discuss the Cyprus problem, and the people that are affected do not get to see what is being said.

Typical! The interests of the politicians prevail and the people are ignored as usual.

Mikkie and brother, don't you think that if it were an open Conference and we all got to find out what was said and by whom, the risk for people to refrain from speaking their true minds in favor of saying the 'politically correct' thing would be present?

T-Pap said today that he doesn't understand why this conference should be behind closed doors. I'm sure he does, but the answer to the question 'why was the government not there?' is still unpleasant.

[brother]

Government ‘worried’ about Cyprus problem conference
By Jean Christou


THE government yesterday it was worried about what was going on at three-day Wilton Park Conference in Larnaca, which is discussing the way forward on the Cyprus issue.

Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said he was “somewhat surprised” that the conference, which involves the British Foreign Office, was taking place behind closed doors. “Yet journalists can talk to delegates in private on the record,” he said.

Around 140 participants from the two Cypriot communities, along with British and other foreign participants are taking part in the conference, which is being held under the Chatham House Rule. This means the content of speeches and addresses are off the record unless the particular speaker deems otherwise.

Wilton Park is one of the world’s leading centres for discussion of international issues and claims a track record of provoking frank and productive discussion by operating on an off-the-record basis. This is the first time the conference is being held in Cyprus.

It is examining the key concerns of both communities, latest trends in public opinion, the impact of Cyprus’ accession to the EU, the implications of December’s European Council agreement to enter EU negotiations with Turkey, and the consequences of a continued stalemate in Cyprus.

It will also discuss the factors that led the Greek Cypriot community to reject the Annan plan, and lessons for the future, as well as the scope for future agreement on such issues as security, the constitutional framework, property, ways of reducing the economic gap between the two communities, and engaging with and informing the public.

Chrysostomides said the government had in hand all the information it needed about the conference but was unaware of its objective or what the outcome would be.

“The conference covers issues that worry our side with regard to the solution of the Cyprus problem,” he said.

Among those addressing the conference are EU representative in Cyprus Adriaan van der Meer and Britain’s former special representative for Cyprus Lord David Hannay.

Also present will be Dominique Chilcott, who deals with Cyprus at the Foreign Office, and will speak to participants.

Prominent participants from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides include AKEL spokesman Andros Kyprianou and Mustafa Akinci, leader of the Turkish Cypriot Peace and Democracy Movement.

Speaking to reporters yesterday after his address to the meeting under the title ‘Key Concerns for the Greek Cypriots’, Kyprianou said he had outlined the circumstances that had led to the current situation.

Kyprianou said the conference organisers had made it clear the event was an exchange of views and not an intervention in any negotiations. He said he had been asked to attend as a representative of AKEL to give an analysis of the situation that led to the current impasse.

“In no instance did I say what changes AKEL wants to the Annan plan,” said Kyprianou.
“This is something we have submitted to the National Council and to no others.” To reveal this at the current stage would be an error by anyone on the Greek Cypriot side while in the presence of “all these foreign diplomats and the Turkish Cypriot side,” he added.