Annan arrives at The Hague for meetings on Cyprus

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has arrived at The Hague, Netherlands, for meetings on Monday regarding Cyprus, a UN spokesman announced today.

In a statement released from the Dutch city, the spokesman said Mr. Annan "has invited the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, to The Hague to receive a reply to his request of 28 February 2003 that they should enter a binding commitment to putting the plan for a comprehensive settlement, as revised on 26 February, to separate simultaneous referenda on 30 March 2003."

"The Secretary-General has asked both leaders to ensure that they come to The Hague having completed all necessary consultations and procedures to be able to give definitive answers there and then," the spokesman said. "He will ask them whether they are prepared to sign tomorrow the two page 'Commitment to submit the Foundation Agreement to approval at separate simultaneous referenda in order to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.'"

The Secretary-General has also invited representatives of the guarantor powers – Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom – to The Hague, and, according to the statement, "has asked them to indicate their readiness to sign on the same day the statement that follows the above commitment confirming (i) that they agree to the Foundation Agreement being put to separate simultaneous referenda, and (ii) that should the Foundation Agreement be approved at separate, simultaneous referenda, they are committed to signing, together with the United Cyprus Republic, the Treaty on matters related to the new state of affairs in Cyprus (as annexed to the Foundation Agreement)."

"The Secretary-General's plan represents the best and last opportunity for Cyprus to sign the EU accession treaty reunited," the spokesman stressed. "The Secretary-General hopes that the leaders will agree to put the plan to referendum and allow their people to decide on their future in a united Cyprus."