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Cyprus, Cyprus Problem, dervis eroglu, President Demetris Christofias, UN

President Demetris Christofias (R) and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu

THE TWO leaders have five more weeks to prove to the UN “beyond doubt” that Cyprus can be reunified if it is to exhaust any more “resources, energy and political capital” on the peace talks, UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer has said. 

In a candid interview with Cyprus-based Kathimerini newspaper, Downer questioned whether the political will exists for the leaders of the two communities to close a deal based on today’s formula. 

“The level of trust between the two sides is very low… but in truth, they share the same basic vision on a bizonal, bicommunal federation. They can’t always see that,” he said.

“On some chapters, their positions are so much closer than they realise, so it requires a lot of work and enormous courage. But if in the end, in the next few weeks these things cannot be recognised, there is probably not much more we can do to help them and that would be the end of the process,” he added.

Regarding the last meeting between the UN chief and the two leaders in New York’s Greentree estate, Downer said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave them three months, not more, to reconcile their positions on the core issues.

“This is the most important period now since September 2008. The UNSG has made the point the window is closing now. There is no point in the UN investing enormous resources, energy, political capital in something which is not going to ever be solved,” said the UN diplomat.

“We need to make up our minds from our perspective and advise the UN Security Council whether: a) the process has been slow… but successful and the two leaders demonstrated beyond doubt that Cyprus can be reunified, or, b) this process has proved to us that it can’t be done. The bizonal, bicommunal federation can’t be implemented because you can’t get an agreement between the two sides,” said Downer.

What the two leaders do between now and the next meeting with the UN chief in Greentree on January 22 to 24 will prove crucial to the decision on whether the UN believes they can cut a deal or not.

Asked to comment on Downer’s comment last week that the two leaders had an “unsuccessful” meeting, he said: “They’ve got bogged down since Greentree. We’re very concerned about it… They have to try to break the logjam here… otherwise the process will just fall into deadlock and collapse. They need to understand the gravity of the situation.”

He said agreement was very possible if both leaders had the necessary will to make history and make concessions to each other to close the gap, since “there is no single difference between the two sides which is a fundamental deal breaker”.

“Of course it’s possible but it depends on priorities. What’s the most important thing for people on this island? Reunification under a federal system or something else? Or just some aspect of that?” he asked. 

Invited by Kathimerini to comment on the prospect of oil and gas in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, Downer said finding gas could be a “blessing” which would act as a “dowry to reconciliation”. He warned, however, that without an agreement, it also has the “potential to rise very dramatically and become quite serious, it could turn out to be a curse”.

Reminded that previous comments on gas got him in hot waters, Downer noted that this only happened within the Greek Cypriot community. 

“You always get attacked here, it doesn’t matter what you say, not by the Turkish Cypriot side. But since 1974/1963, the UN has been consistently attacked here by elements of the Greek Cypriot community, and some of the minor political parties. They’re always attacking the UN and if we left, if we said we’re sick of being attacked and we’re leaving, what would they say? Build a bridge, I say.” 

Contrary to form, the Greek Cypriot media and political elite remained oddly unresponsive to Downer’s comments, possibly due to the article’s publication coinciding with the local elections on Sunday.