Annan submits revised plan for unitary Cyprus

The UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, yesterday formally handed over his revised proposal for the reunification of Cyprus to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots and the representatives of Greece and Turkey. Michael Jansen in Bürgenstock, Switzerland reports

The island has been divided since the Turkish army occupied the northern third in 1974 and imposed de-facto partition.

During a brief ceremony in the ballroom at the luxurious Grand Hotel in this mountain top resort, Mr Annan said the parties were "here to give a final push to the effort to solve the Cyprus problem, once and for all, on the basis of the plan" he put forward in February 2003.

Mr Annan addressed the gathering sitting at a table between the Cyprus President, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, on behalf of the Greek Cypriot community, and the Turkish Cypriot Premier, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Serdar Denktash. Greece and Turkey were represented by their Foreign Ministers, Mr Petros Moliviatis, and Mr Abdullah Gul.

Referring to the arrival of the Cypriot teams in a snow storm a week ago, Mr Annan said: "The entrenched policies of decades have already begun to give way. As the snowfall subsided, the fog lifted and the sun appeared at Bürgenstock, the ice broke.

"I only wish that we had been able to bring this about earlier, when there was more time to spare.

"But now that we still have this opportunity, we cannot let it pass."

The Cypriots, Greeks and Turks, will give their reactions to the text today.

Their first priority is to consider portions of the plan on which there has, so far, been no agreement so that issues can be settled through "give-and-take".

If outstanding points remain, they will be settled by Mr Annan by midnight tomorrow, so the Cypriots can take the completed text back to the island for submission to their respective communities in separate referendums on April 20th.

Addressing Mr Papadopoulos, the secretary-general said the plan had been rendered "more functional and viable", and Greek Cypriot concerns about reducing territory in the Turkish Cypriot canton and of Turkish troop levels had been met.

He pointed out to Mr Talat that provisions on separation, or "bizonality," had been strengthened, in accordance with their demand, to preserve "the security and identity of the Turkish Cypriot constituent state and the safety and dignity of its people." Mr Annan also said that Turkey would maintain permanently a "moderate military presence" in the north.

The 9,000-page set of documents includes the "Foundation Agreement" for a United Cyprus Republic, the constitutions of its two communal states, a treaty of guarantee defining the roles of Greece and Turkey, matters to be submitted to the Security Council for its endorsement, measures to be taken during April, and a Draft Act of Adaptation of Cyprus's terms of accession to the EU.

This will be studied by the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Mr Günter Verheugen, who arrived here yesterday evening.

In the blue-bound highlighted text of the Foundation Agreement the UN requests "the EU to endorse [the document] and accommodate its terms and adapt the terms of accession to ensure that it is within the European legal order", said Mr Annan.

He added: "These documents are the best possible rebuttal of claims that the United Nations and other 'foreign powers' are trying to impose a settlement on Cyprus.Last night a spokesman for the Cyprus government, Mr Kypros Chrysostomides, said there were some things of which he approved in the plan and some other, more problematic, things..