Letter to the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Reporting on the Cyprus Conflict

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman.')

In accordance with Public Law 95-384, I am submitting herewith a bimonthly report on progress toward a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus question.

Since my last report to you, leaders of the two Cypriot communities have completed a series of proximity talks with United Nations Secretary General Perez de Cuellar in New York. Those talks resulted in the Secretary General's announcement on December 12, 1984, that the differences between the parties' positions have been narrowed sufficiently to permit the scheduling of a summit meeting. President Kyprianou and Turkish Cypriot leader Denktash are now scheduled to meet January 17 in New York. The Secretary General has said he expects the two, at that time, to conclude an agreement containing the elements necessary for a solution to the Cyprus problem. While a great deal remains to be done, we view the staging of the summit as a very positive step, one which can bring closer the day when all Cypriots can live together in a reunified country.

On December 14, 1984, the U.N. Security Council renewed the peacekeeping mandate of the U.N. Forces in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another six months. The Secretary General's report to the Council on the occasion of that vote includes his description of the progress made under his good offices mandate as well as the status of U.N. forces on the island. I am enclosing with this letter a copy of the Secretary General's informative report.

We have worked closely with the Secretary General and with all parties to the Cyprus question during the period, urging their cooperation and encouraging them to make progress. The Administration is pleased with the statesmanlike approach of both Cypriot parties that led to the announcement of the summit. We will continue to consult closely with Secretary General Perez de Cuellar, offering him any assistance we can to assure a successful meeting in January and continuing progress toward a fair and lasting Cyprus settlement.

Sincerely,

RONALD REAGAN