Security Council supports continuing peace efforts for Cyprus.

The Security Council on 12 March called on the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus to pursue their efforts to reach freely a mutually acceptable solution of the problem, providing for a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation, in line with their 1977 and 1979 high-level agreements. In those agreements, the leaders had pledged themselves to establish a bi-communal Federal Republic of Cyprus that would safeguard its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-alignment, and exclude union, in whole or in part, with any other country and any form of partition or secession.

The Council acted following talks in New York between 26 February and 2 March between SecretaryGeneral javier Perez de Cuellar and the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communitiesPresident George Vassiliou of Cyprus and Rauf Denktash.

Afterwards, a spokesman for the Secretary-General reported no progress on drafting an outline of an overall agreement-the main objective of the talks. "Given the high expectations which have been disappointed by the inability to make progress, the Secretary-General appealed to both leaders not to say or do anything that could aggravate the situation in Cyprus", the statement added.

In resolution 649 (1990), adopted unanimously, the Council called on the two leaders to co-operate, on an equal footing, with the SecretaryGeneral in completing, "in the first instance and on an urgent basis", an outline of an overall agreement as agreed in june 1989.

The Secretary-General was asked to pursue his mission of' good offices to achieve the earliest possible progress and to assist the two communities by making suggestions to facilitate the discussions". The Council fully supported the Secretary-General's effort in carrying out his mission of good offices and called on the parties concerned to refrain from any action that could aggravate the situation.

The 15-member body also reaffirmed its support for the 1977 and 1979 high-level agreements. The Secretary-General was asked to inform the Council by 31 May of progress made in resuming the "intensive talks" and in developing an agreed outline of an overall agreement.

In a preambular paragraph, the Council expressed concern that it had not been possible to achieve results in arriving at an agreed outline of an overall agreement at the talks.

Mr. Perez de Cuellar has appealed to the two leaders to remain committed to finding a solution to the problem of Cyprus in the framework of the intercommunal talks. Both leaders assured the Secretary-General that they remain committed to this objective. Respective interests

In reporting to the Council SI21183), the Secretary-General said he had told both sides during the talks that they should be prepared to take into account each other's concerns and be willing to harmonize their respective interests. Solutions to all issues had to be found that were acceptable to both sides. They must also respect the cultural, religious, social and linguistic identity of each community%

The Secretary-General stressed that it was important that the talks not be allowed to collapse. He affirmed that a basis for effective negotiations existed, provided both leaders were prepared to take into account each other's concerns and that both were willing to proceed within the framework of' the 1977 and 1979 high-level agreements. He would assist the two communities to arrive at an agreed solution.