Cyprus talks can succeed, says envoy

Agence France-Presse

Greek Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Mehmet Ali Talat, have been engaged in direct negotiations since last September with few signs of tangible progress.

But former Australian foreign minister Downer, speaking to reporters late Monday, was upbeat about the negotiation process. "There has never been a moment's hesitation in terms of the two Cyprus leaders' commitment to succeed in the process of direct negotiations," Downer said after meeting Christofias.

"If you have leaders determined to succeed, they can succeed. That's what we, in the U.N., want and that's what is happening, so I think that's good."

If the leaders are given "time and space" to negotiate complex issues there would be a positive outcome, he said, but declining to give an indication of when this could be.

Downer said the international community was still very engaged in the process despite the long grind.

"There is so much support for the leaders coming not just from the U.N. but more generally from the European Union and of course, from major powers like Russia, the United States, Britain, China and France. It's very encouraging."