Cypriot Leaders, Papandreou Confer on U.N. Proposal

Cyprus President Spyros Kyprianou and other political leaders from the divided Mediterranean island conferred Saturday with Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, two days before the deadline for accepting or rejecting a U.N. reunification plan.

Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias declined to give details of the three-hour talks, merely saying they had been constructive.

Western diplomats see the U.N. plan, which has not been made public, as possibly the last chance to reunite the island, divided since 1974, when Turkey occupied its northern third after an abortive Greek-backed coup in Nicosia.

But Greek and Greek Cypriot officials have expressed fears that the plan would fall short of their stated preconditions for a settlement, mainly the withdrawal of Turkish troops.

Greek and Greek Cypriot newspapers have strongly criticized it. They say the plan would give increased veto powers to Turkish Cypriots and could be interpreted as allowing them to sign separate agreements with other countries.

A senior official in Cyprus said that Turkish Cypriot leaders have decided to accept the plan.