[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[January 5, 1993]
[Pages 2233-2234]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on the Cyprus Conflict
January 5, 1993

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. Chairman:)
    In accordance with Public Law 95-384 (22 U.S.C. 2373(c)), I am 
submitting to you this bimonthly report on progress toward a negotiated 
settlement of the Cyprus question. This report covers the months of 
September and October and, for the sake of continuity and completeness, 
the first 12 days of November 1992. Also, included with this report are 
the U.N. Secretary General's report on the October-November negotiating 
round and U.N. Security Council Resolution 789, which endorsed that 
report, both of which were issued in the latter half of November 1992.
    Most of the September-October reporting period was taken up with 
preparations for the resumption of U.N.-sponsored Cyprus negotiations 
scheduled for October 26. During the second and third weeks of 
September, Ambassador Nelson Ledsky made his last trip to Cyprus, 
Greece, and Turkey before retiring September 30 and relinquishing his 
position as Special Cyprus Coordinator to Ambassador John Maresca. 
During his visit to the area, Ambassador Ledsky discussed the status and 
future of the negotiations with President Vassiliou of Cyprus, Turkish 
Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktash, Prime Minister Demirel of Turkey, and 
Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece.
    During the third week of September, the first week of the 1992 
Session of the United Nations General Assembly, then Acting Secretary of 
State Lawrence Eagleburger met in New York with President Vassiliou, 
Greek Foreign Minister Papakonstantinou, and Turkish Foreign Minister 
Cetin. Ambassador Ledsky, accompanied by his designated successor, 
Ambassador John Maresca, had additional separate meetings with President 
Vassiliou, Foreign Ministers Papakonstantinou and Cetin, and 
representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community.
    Ambassador Maresca traveled to Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey during the 
second and third weeks of October to do more preparatory work for the 
talks in New York that were scheduled to resume on October 26. During 
the same period, the U.N. Secretary General's representatives traveled 
to Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey to prepare for the talks.
    Face-to-face meetings between President Vassiliou and 
Mr. Denktash under the chair- manship of the U.N. Secretary General 
resumed on October 28 in New York, a 2-day delay having been caused by 
problems related to the way titles of the two leaders were listed in the 
U.N. Secretariat daily agenda. Between October 28 and November 11, there 
were 10 joint meetings, during which the Secretary General recorded in 
detail the positions of the two parties on the U.N. 
``set of ideas'' for a framework for a Cyprus settlement. (A copy of the 
``set

[[Page 2234]]

of ideas'' was appended to the Secretary General's report of August 21, 
1992, which was provided with my last letter on this subject.)
    Having noted the positions of the parties, the Secretary General 
prepared a ``non-paper'' setting out the essential elements of the 
positions of both sides, along with relevant parts of the ``set of 
ideas'' and U.N. resolutions. Both sides confirmed that their respective 
positions were accurately reflected in the Secretary General's ``non-
paper.''
    The Secretary General's report to the Security Council of November 
19, 1992, on his good offices mission in Cyprus, which is attached, went 
into some detail on the positions of the two parties, and noted that in 
some areas the Turkish Cypriot side deviated from the U.N. ``set of 
ideas.'' The Secretary General also noted that, although the Greek 
Cypriot side declared it accepted provisions of the ``set of ideas,'' 
such declarations were frequently accompanied by provisos. He stated 
that these questions should be cleared up in a manner that does not 
deviate from the ``set of ideas.''
    The Secretary General, in paragraph 59 of his report, indicated that 
intensive efforts had failed to produce an overall agreement, and he 
concluded that the lack of political will mentioned in his previous 
report ``continues to block the conclusion of an agreement that is 
otherwise within reach.'' He noted in the following paragraph that the 
Security Council had asked in its Resolution 774 (provided with my last 
letter) that, should an agreement not be reached, the Secretary General 
should recommend alternative courses of action to resolve the Cyprus 
problem. Subsequent paragraphs outline his proposals, including a number 
of measures to help create a new climate of confidence between the two 
parties, which would contribute to the success of the negotiating 
process. These confidence-building measures are outlined in paragraph 63 
of the Secretary General's report.
    On November 25, the U.N. Security Council adopted its Resolution 
789, which endorsed the U.N. Secretary General's report of November 19, 
and urged both sides to commit themselves to the Secretary General's 
series of confidence-building measures, including initiating a 
significant reduction of foreign troops and defense spending on the 
island.
    I am happy to note that, before departing New York in November, the 
parties agreed to resume their face-to-face negotiations in March 1993, 
which will be after the presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus 
scheduled for February 7, 1993. We would have preferred, of course, that 
the October-November round of negotiations would have proceeded beyond 
the point of defining positions and differences and would have entered 
the phase of bridging gaps between the positions of the parties and the 
U.N. ``set of ideas,'' including the Secretary General's map, which 
remains the basis for negotiations for a fair and permanent resolution 
that would benefit all Cypriots.
    I continue to believe and to agree with the statement in Security 
Council Resolution 789 that the present status quo is not acceptable. An 
overall agreement in line with the U.N. ``set of ideas'' should be 
achieved without further delay. I also urge all concerned to commit 
themselves to the implementation of the confidence-building measures set 
out in Resolution 789 and to come to the next round of talks prepared to 
make the difficult decisions that will bring about a speedy agreement.
    Sincerely,

                                                             George Bush

                    Note: Identical letters were sent to Thomas S. 
                        Foley, Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
                        and Claiborne Pell, Chairman of the Senate 
                        Committee on Foreign Relations.