UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday revealed his latest -- and likely final -- plan for the reunification of Cyprus, promising all sides a "win-win" deal.
The 220-page document -- accompanied by 9,000 pages of annexes -- was handed to the parties at a ceremony in the mountain resort of Buergenstock.
"There is a sense of destiny today. You are here to give a final push to the effort to solve the Cyprus problem once and for all," Annan told negotiators.
PHOTO: AP
"I believe this is a win-win proposal," Annan added.
The plan is aimed at clinching a deal that will satisfy both sides before Cyprus joins the EU on May 1. Exact details have not been released by the UN, but the sides at the negotiations revealed the main points.
The Turkish delegation appeared more supportive of the plan, but the Greek delegation expressed immediate reservations.
"From the first reading, we can say that there are some clear concerns," said Theodoros Roussopoulos, a spokesman for the Greek foreign minister.
Kypros Chrysostomides, spokesman for the Greek Cypriot government, said later, "Some of the points are satisfactory, but some of the basic points for our side are not. Some of the issues which are very important for us were given to the other side."
He said the Greek Cypriots would continue to try to amend the plan.
According to officials at the talks, the plan sets conditions that ensure that the Turkish Cypriot region in the north will be run by Turkish Cypriots even when Greek Cypriots have returned to the region.
It also reduces the number of Greek Cypriot refugees allowed to return and settle in the northern part of the island to 18 percent of the Turkish Cypriot population from 21 percent in the previous proposal.
Cyprus has been split into the Greek Cypriot-controlled south and the occupied north since Turkey invaded in 1974 in the wake of a short-lived coup by supporters of union with Greece. The breakaway state is only recognized by Turkey, which maintains 40,000 troops there.
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