Transcript of Remarks by A. Downer following the meeting of Cyprus leaders
Let me just tell you something very briefly about the meeting that has taken place today and which began about 10 o’clock this morning, with a break for lunch, and has gone on until about 5 o’clock this evening. The leaders and officials exchanged opinions on the economy, focused their discussions on the economy. And the Representatives and technical officials will be meeting again here in the UNPA on Friday [26 February] for further discussions on the issue of the economy. The leaders also had a separate meeting with their representatives on all aspects of the negotiations; a broader discussion rather than just on the economy.
Question: Have they also discussed the executive powers?
Mr Downer: Well, I chose my words very carefully and they met separately to discuss all aspects of the negotiations, all aspects of the problem.
Question: The chapter on the economy was one of the chapters with the most convergences. So, they have not concluded [it] yet?
Mr Downer: The officials and Representatives are meeting again on Friday to have further discussions about the economy. It’s not so much that. It’s that there are a large number of issues to discuss. There are a significant number of aspects to the economy chapter and they need to go through them. It is obviously time consuming.
Question: What will be the issue in the next meeting?
Mr Downer: We’ll let you know nearer the time. The next meeting is on the 4th of March, that’s next week. So we’ll let you know. But the Representatives and their officials are meeting on Friday afternoon to talk further about the economy.
Question: Any convergences today on the economy?
Mr Downer: We don’t get into a blow-by-blow description, obviously, of how the negotiations are going. And I think you can understand why.
