Ban Ki Moon's Cyprus visit futile

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is to visit Nikosia this weekend to revive the faltering negotiations between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. But according to the conservative Greek-Cypriot daily Simerini his visit will be a waste of time: "Ban Ki Moon comes to give the kiss of life to a doomed dialogue. ... He comes to give [leader of the Turkish Cypriots] Mehmet Ali Talat his support in the run-up to the pseudo elections [taking place in Northern Cyprus in April 2010]. ... He comes to offer false hopes to the Cypriot people and renew optimism. ... This visit won't achieve anything for us. If we were in a phase in which his presence was necessary to give the treaty a boost we could understand the purpose of his visit. But he comes at a time when nothing is moving forward."

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