Today a meeting between Cyprus President Dimitris Hristofyas and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat will take place within the framework of direct negotiations for settlement of the Cyprus issue. The meeting will take place at the home of the Special Representative of UN Secretary General on Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun, near the airport.
The date of this meeting and the next three - March 4, 16 and 30, were set on February 12 following an agreement between the President of the Republic of Cyprus with the UN and with the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side. According to the statement of the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Cyprus issue Alexander Downer, at the meeting president Hristofyas will discuss the chapter on economy. Today's meeting will continue all day and although the Turkish Cypriot side is willing to have two additional meetings, only the four already scheduled will be carried out.
The third round of negotiations will continue with the chapters on government and the economy and European Affairs, but will be held under the shadow of the issue of guarantees, said the Cypriot agency Sigma live.
Tomorrow, UN Secretary General special adviser will arrive in Greece and will meet with Vice Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas.
On their first pages today's newspapers in Cyprus printed the decision of the Central Committee of the Democratic Party to remain in government. In his convincing speech before the Commission Marios Karoyan gave reasons why the party should remain in government but also left a loophole for its withdrawal in the event that there is disagreement with the president on the resolution of the Cyprus issue.
English-language newspaper Cyprus Mail focuses on the news of the strike at petrol stations in Cyprus, which began after the government decided to issue a regulation on the ceiling prices. Following the decision, 4/5 of the gas stations in the country are closed and drivers are flocking to load their tanks, because the strike will last for eight days.