Tanaiste to hold talks with Cypriot leaders

THE Tanaiste, Mr Spring, begins" a visit to Cyprus today to familiarise himself with the situation on the island. He has come as a member of the European Union's "troika" and to prepare for his July 1st assumption of the EU presidency during which the island's relations with the EU are expected to become an important issue.

The fact that Mr Spring, who has a busy schedule this year, has given two full days to his mission to Cyprus would seem to indicate that he intends to promote the resolution of the island's political problems during the Irish presidency.

Mr Liam Rigney, the Irish Ambassador to Cyprus and Greece, told The Irish Times that Mr Spring was seeking "first hand information from the leading players" in the game of Cyprus politics.

This game, Mr Rigney said, has been "complicated" by the likely formation of a new and almost certainly less conciliatory government in Turkey and the power vacuum in Greece created by the illness of the Prime Minister, Mr Andreas Papandreaou.

Mr Spring's interest was kindled last April when the US Secretary of State, Mr Richard Holbrooke, suggested to him that he might bring to the Cyprus problem experience gained during negotiations on the Anglo Irish accord. But Mr Rigney firmly distanced the EU initiative from a US endeavour to restart talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Mr Spring, he said, was not coming here at the behest of the US but "under the umbrella of the European Union". Mr Spring seems to be determined to involve the EU in spite of the fact that any EU initiative was rejected in advance by the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr Omer Akbel, on January 3rd.

Mr Rigney said one of the main reasons for the Greek and Turkish Cypriots reaching a "united approach" to the problems of the island was economic.

"Fourteen months into the peace process we see a positive economic effect", an improved climate producing "major investments" in disadvantaged Northern Ireland, Mr Rigney said. North Cyprus, also suffering from severe economic depression, could equally benefit from a peace dividend.

Mr Rigney said the Tanaiste's approach was similar to that adopted by the leader of the SDLP, Mr John Hume, who has Just concluded a visit to the island.

Mr Hume urged the two sides to engage in dialogue "Dialogue threatens no one. In Ireland . . . it was dialogue that brought peace to our streets", a peace "which 20,000 soldiers and armed police" had not been able to secure over 25 years.

During his stay Mr Spring will have discussions with the President of the Republic, Mr Glafkos Clerides the Cypriot Foreign Minister, Mr Alecos Michaelides the UN Chief of Mission, Mr Gustave Feissel the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash and the heads of the four Turkish Cypriot political parties.