VZCZCXRO0131
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0355 1080045
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170045Z APR 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4124
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1596
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 1509
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 1147

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000355 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC CY
SUBJECT: PASCOE DELIVERS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC MESSAGE ON 
CYPRUS TO UNSC 
 
REF: USUN 00282 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On April 15, UN Under Secretary General for 
Political Affairs Pascoe briefed the Security Council on his 
March 30 to April 2 assessment mission to Cyprus.  Pascoe 
said that both parties had expressed willingness to reach a 
comprehensive settlement and engage in good faith with their 
counterparts.  He said he was struck by the positive rapport 
between Cypriot President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot 
leader Talat despite the international isolation of the 
north.  Following up on his message to the P-5 in late March 
(reftel), Pascoe concluded that the two sides are trying hard 
to make the working groups and technical committees 
successful.  If they achieve this, he is confident that the 
Secretary-General will decide to appoint another high-level 
 
SIPDIS 
Special Envoy by the end of the three-month preparatory 
period agreed by the two leaders on March 21.  The UK Permrep 
said his mission will circulate a draft Security Council 
Presidential Statement (PRST) soon to encourage further 
progress.  All Security Council members supported the idea of 
adopting a PRST this week.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On April 15, U/SYG Pascoe briefed the Security 
Council on his recent assessment mission to Cyprus.  Pascoe 
told the UNSC that the successful March 21 meeting between 
Christofias and Talat had been a concrete expression of the 
new positive atmosphere on the island.  He stated that the 
leaders had avoided thorny issues by mentioning neither the 
July 8, 2006 Agreement nor the Comprehensive Settlement Plan 
in their March 21 statement.  Pascoe said that while he was 
on the island March 30 to April 2, both parties had expressed 
a willingness to reach a comprehensive settlement and engage 
in good faith with their counterparts.  He was struck by the 
positive rapport between Christofias and Talat that existed 
despite the international isolation of the north.  Pascoe 
reported that during his follow-on trips to Athens and 
Ankara, Greece had welcomed the March 21 Agreement as an 
opportunity to move forward while Ankara had stressed the 
importance of improved economic and social conditions for the 
Turkish Cypriots.  Pascoe noted that there has already been 
further progress since March 21, including the April 3 
opening of Ledra Street crossing.  Pascoe expected the 
working groups and technical committees envisioned in the 
July 8, 2006 Agreement to be launched by the end of this 
week. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Pascoe stated that the two sides will seek to bridge 
as many issues as they can at the working level in the coming 
days, and leave the remaining issues for the next meeting of 
the two leaders.  He expressed optimism that much can be 
accomplished in the preparatory phase beforehand, adding that 
the sides will "draw on a considerable body of existing work" 
in their search for a settlement.  Pascoe warned however that 
there should be no illusions that issues that have 
complicated a settlement for years will be quickly solved; he 
pointed to the opening of Ledra Street crossing followed by 
its temporary re-closure as a metaphor for difficult patterns 
the settlement process may experience.  Following up on his 
message to the P-5 in late March, Pascoe concluded that the 
two sides are working hard to make the working groups and 
technical committees successful and that if they achieve this 
he is confident that after 90 days the Secretary-General will 
decide to appoint another high-level Special Envoy. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Echoing Pascoe's message, UK Permrep Sawers said the 
current atmosphere allows for optimism but that the issues on 
Cyprus have not gotten easier.  Sawers stated that because 
Security Council support for efforts on the island is 
important, the UK would circulate a draft Presidential 
Statement (PRST) to members soon.  USUN voiced agreement with 
Pascoe's cautious optimism regarding what has been 
accomplished and expressed support for a PRST. 
 
¶5. (SBU) French Permrep Ripert was hopeful regarding the new 
spirit of cooperation on the island but underscored the end 
objective must be reunification.  Russian Deputy Permrep 
Dolgov stated support for continuing to seek a solution to 
the Cyprus problem through the UN and continuation of the 
Secretary-General's Good Offices Mission.  Dolgov said the 
 
SIPDIS 
March 21 meeting was important because it helped 
implementation of the July 8 process.  All Council members 
expressed support for a PRST to encourage further progress. 
 
Khalilzad