Cyprus: Annan meets with Clerides and Denktash

In Cyprus today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan held separate meetings with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, according to a UN spokesman.

"This morning, the Secretary-General met for an hour and half with His Excellency, Mr. Glafcos Clerides, the Greek Cypriot leader, at Mr. Clerides' office," spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York. That meeting was two-on-two, with the Secretary-General accompanied by his Special Adviser, Alvaro de Soto.

"Then at 3:30 p.m. the Secretary-General went to the office of His Excellency Mr. Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, for a meeting that lasted about two hours," Mr. Eckhard reported. Again the formula was two-on-two.

This evening the Secretary-General has invited the two leaders to a working dinner which will be held at the residence of Zbigniew Wlosowicz, the Chief of Mission in Cyprus, according to the spokesman.