The 8 July Agreement reaffirmed the Cyprus government’s commitment to reunify the island on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation. On 29 August 2006, the UN Security Council urged the implementation of the 8 July Agreement without further delay and expressed its support for the continued efforts of the Secretary-General to achieve a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus. In order to facilitate the process, on 15 November 2006 the UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs proposed suggestions for the implementation of the 8 July Agreement. Unfortunately, difficulties appeared during the preparatory phase, because the Turkish side questioned the fundamental elements of the Agreement. In a letter to the UN Secretary-General in April 2007, the Turkish Cypriot leader sought to alter the agreed framework of the 8 July Agreement. In his address to the UN General Assembly on 26 September, President Papadopoulos reiterated the commitment of the government to the 8 July Agreement and to a settlement based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Noting that the status quo of foreign military occupation and forcible division of the island should not be sustained, the president called for “a meaningful and forward-looking process” to elicit concrete results and a comprehensive solution. He also discussed the need for the acceleration of the implementation of the UN process with UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon on 23 September in New York. For the government of Cyprus as well as for the United Nations, the 8 July Agreement procedure became the only way available leading to a mutually acceptable solution. However, its implementation was undermined by the prevarications of the Turkish side. New initiatives in 2008 yield results In February 2008, the new President of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, immediately after his election, sought a meeting with the Turkish-Cypriot leader. At their meeting on 21 March 2008, it was decided to set up working groups and technical committees and to draw up a list of issues to be considered. It was decided to hold a new meeting in three months to evaluate the progress in order to enable the start of direct negotiations, under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the UN. At the same time, it was decided to open Ledra Street. On April 3, 2008, the crossing point on Ledras Street was opened, while on April 18, six working groups and seven technical committees launched sessions. In the absence of progress justifying the resumption of negotiations, at the initiative of President Christofias, The Cyprus Question| A brief Introduction 24
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