Annan Gives Last Warning to Cyprus

The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, warned Cyprus's rival Greek and Turkish communities yesterday that they must either accept a peace deal to reunite the island or face the prospect of living as separate entities for ever.

Using unusually blunt language, Mr Annan made the warning as he ended a three-day visit to the region.

Mr Annan announced that the two leaders had agreed to consider holding public plebiscites on the plan before they met him at the Hague on March 10. Cyprus's former president George Vasilliou hailed the "very wise move", saying that if the deal was backed by a popular vote it would be much harder for either leader to reject.

Mr Annan said:"If one party or the other says no [on March 10] there is no doubt that this is the end of the road."

Under the 150-page plan presented by Mr Annan in revised form during the visit to the newly elected president, Tassos Papadopoulos, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, the two sides would reunite as "constituent states" in a United Cyprus Republic.

The Greek Cypriot population which controls the internationally recognised south, has been invited to join the EU on April 16. But Brussels has said it would prefer the whole island to join.

Mr Annan told the two communities: "As I leave this beautiful island, I pray and hope that you will soon have the settlement so long hoped for and so long denied."