AT THE end of his two day exploratory visit to Cyprus, Mr Kester Heaslip, the representative of the Irish Presidency of the European Union, told The Irish Times that he had "acquired a certain degree of optimism" during talks he had on the divided island this week.
Mr Heaslip, a former Irish ambassador in the Netherlands and Germany, said he was optimistic that a solution to the 22 year old problem of the division of Cyprus would be found. He was "convinced that on both sides there is preparedness to make another effort to find a solution".
He said both sides had convinced him "that they fully recognise that the period leading up to European Union accession provides a unique opportunity" for promoting negotiations between the Greek and Turkish communities.
All the facilitators the EU, the UN, the US and Britain - were working together and keeping in close contact so their efforts would be co ordinated.
All are striving to reach agreement on the basis of the UN proposal for an independent bizonal, bicommunal federal republic, Mr Heaslip said.
Mr Heaslip began his mission in the divided capital, Nicosia on Monday with a meeting with the President of the Republic, Mr Glafkos Clerides.
It was obvious, Mr Heaslip said, that President Clerides "is determined to find a solution" before accession talks begin.
After talks with Mr Clerides, Mr Heaslip crossed the dividing "Green Line" for meetings with Turkish Cypriot politicians and lunch with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash.
Mr Denktash stressed the importance for his community of "the rule of law, equality and equal treatment of both sides" that is, of the "equality of treatment" of the 18 per cent Turkish Cypriot minority with the Greek Cypriot majority on the island.
While Mr Heaslip was meeting Mr Denktash, hundreds of Turkish Cypriot demonstrators staged a sit down protest against the assassination of a left wing journalist, Kutlu Adali on July 6th.
Although the killing has been claimed by the right wing, ultranationalist "Grey Wolves" movement, Turkish Cypriot police have not made any arrests.
Yesterday, Mr Heaslip met western diplomats and leaders of Greek and Turkish Cypriot political parties. He was accompanied on his mission by the Irish ambassador to Athens and Nicosia, Mr Liam Rigney.
The Cyprus government was somewhat disappointed because Mr Heaslip said there had not been enough progress towards the resolution of the Cyprus problem to justify the appointment of a permanent EU co ordinator for Cyprus.
The government had been pressing for the appointment of a permanent representative of the Council of Ministers to replace coordinators mandated for a six month term by the rotating presidency.
"The pace at which events are moving forward has not yet quickened to the extent that ... we would find it useful to appoint a permanent representative," Mr Heaslip stated.
Mr Heaslip is expected to meet the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ms Tansu Ciller, in Ankara on Friday and the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr Theodoros Pangalos, in Athens on Monday.
Mr Heaslip said he would travel to New York in September to confer with UN representatives, and to Washington to meet the US facilitator, Mr Richard Beattie. He also plans to pay other visits to Cyprus before reporting to the EU Council of Ministers in October.
