THE European Union presidency representative for Cyprus, Mr Kester Heaslip, has expressed his concern over the dangers to peace posed by the spiralling armament programmes being pursued by both communities on the island.
In an interview to be broadcast tomorrow by Dublin Weekend Radio, Mr Heaslip, a former Irish ambassador to Bonn, expressed concern at this week's decision by the government in Nicosia to purchase the Russian made 5300 anti aircraft missile system. He said this decision made the situation on the island "still more unstable, still more dangerous, and still more worrying."
Speaking before a meeting in The Hague today between US and EU officials, at which the Cyprus problem is expected to take centre stage, Mr Heaslip denied suggestions that a rift had developed between Washington and Europe over how the Cyprus issue should be handled.
Reports earlier this week suggested that the US may be preparing its own diplomatic offensive for the island, with a possible high profile role for its leading negotiator, Mr Richard Holbrooke.
Diplomatic sources have suggested that such an approach could be counter productive in this case.
Mr Heaslip insisted that he saw today's talks in The Hague as a brainstorming session and a bringing together of ideas from the two sides. The talks will however, be attended by a senior US State Department official, Mr Carey Cavanaugh, who is also due to hold meetings in Cyprus this weekend.
The situation in Cyprus has been described as tense this week, following Nicosia's decision to buy the Russian missiles. The Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktash, said the missile issue may stand in the way of talks, and sources in Ankara have said the Turkish government would not rule out intervening militarily to avoid a change in the balance of power between Greeks and Turks in the eastern Mediterranean. Athens and Nicosia have signed a common defence pact, and this week a Greek officer, Lieut Gen Nicolaos Vorvolakos, was given an extension in his post as head of the Cyprus National Guard.
However, Mr Heaslip described 1997 as "a window of opportunity" for achieving a comprehensive solution to the problem.
. The US warned Turkey against attacking Cyprus after reports from Ankara yesterday that Turkey was seriously considering a military strike.
"This is no time for the Turkish government to be making wild and dramatic statements which will not be supported by any sensible member of the international community," a State Department spokesman, Mr Nicholas Burns, said.