Vol. 498 No. 1
125 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has made any effort to mediate between the Greek Cypriots and the Turks over the partition of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26848/98]
Current efforts to resolve the Cyprus question have been concentrated on the United Nations sponsored talks process which was launched by the UN Secretary General in July 1997. At the end of September 1998 the Secretary General had meetings in New York with President Clerides of the Republic of Cyprus and Mr. Rauf Denktash, leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. The Secretary General proposed that his Deputy Special Representative, Dame Ann Hercus, should develop a process of contacts on the island with both parties with the goal of reducing tensions and promoting a just and lasting settlement. Both leaders expressed their support for the process and promised to co-operate in a constructive and flexible manner. On 16 October last, Dame Hercus launched her confidential shuttle talks with President Clerides and Mr. Denktash. The Secretary General will report on the process to the Security Council later this month.
Ireland, together with our EU partners, fully supports the efforts of the United Nations to achieve a political solution for Cyprus based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federal approach. In this regard, we have offered every support to the renewed efforts of the Secretary General's Deputy Special Representative. The Deputy will appreciate that mediation efforts by individual countries could detract from the efforts of the UN. For this reason all international efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue, including by the Special Representatives for Cyprus of the EU Presidency, the United States and Russia, are fully committed to supporting the UN talks process as the most effective way of resolving the Cyprus question.
