UN envoy urges Cyprus deal

The two sides have until 28 February to agree to the plan

The special United Nations envoy for Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, has urged Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders to come to an agreement over a UN plan to re-unify their divided island.

The choice is between this plan... and no agreement at all

UN envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto

The Peruvian diplomat is leading a fresh push to get the two sides to agree on a UN peace plan having failed to get results at the EU's Copenhagen summit in December.

He said the plan offered little scope for drastic changes.

"The choice is between this plan, perhaps with balanced refinements here and there as needed, and no plan at all," Mr de Soto said.

The UN has set a deadline of 28 February, and envisages it being put to a referendum on 30 March in both the north and the south of the island.

If Cypriots backed the deal, a treaty on enlargement of the European Union, due to be signed in mid-April, would pave the way for the whole of Cyprus to join the EU.

"Will a re-united Cyprus become a beacon of co-operation between Greece and Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean... or will a divided Cyprus continue to strain relations between Greece and Turkey and vis-a-vis Europe?" he said.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has said his talks with his Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides will resume on Wednesday.

Northern rally

On Tuesday tens of thousands of Turkish Cypriots are expected to rally in the northern part of the divided capital, Nicosia, on Tuesday, to put pressure on the Turkish Cypriot leadership to accept the UN plan.

It will be the second such rally in the northern Turkish part of the island in less than a month, following one held at the end of December.

Some 30,000 people - about a sixth of the population - demonstrated in Nicosia on 26 December, but Tuesday's demonstration is expected to be bigger.

Protesters are worried about Mr Denktash's hardline stance on the UN plan and want to see a united island join the EU in May 2004.

---