Tiptoeing through the diplomatic tulips in North Nicosia...

The role of the Party Presidency is not normally a diplomatic one. That is, there is plenty of diplomacy involved in dealing with the various elements of the Party but, in general, dealing with foreign governments is not part of the role. So, a meeting with the Prime Minister of a sovereign, if generally unrecognised, state is not to be taken lightly. There are issues regarding the implication of recognition, especially when you are, as Ros is, a member of a governing Party.

The Prime Minister, Irsen Kucuk, was our first appointment, and we were welcomed into his office, where we were served tea, and given an introduction to the issues that are at the centre of his nation's concerns - trade and direct flights. Of course, a brief history lesson was included, noting a series of atrocities by Greek Cypriots against Turkish Cypriots in the period after independence in 1960.

At the moment, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is effectively under embargo, a matter of some irony. As part of the 2004 Annan Plan, a referendum was held on each side of the line of control. The Turkish Cypriots voted 2:1 in favour of the proposed deal to bring the two halves of the island. The Greek Cypriots voted 3:1 against. Less than a week later, the Republic of Cyprus was admitted into the European Union, an apparent reward for their intransigence. The Turkish side was to be rewarded with a trade agreement allowing tariff-free access to the European market. That agreement remains unratified by the European Union, six years later.

Regardless of whose side you take in the dispute, it seems grossly unfair that the European Union has failed to reward the Turkish Cypriots for their willingness to sign up to a deal requiring much compromise on their part. However, the pre-Lisbon arrangements allowed the Greek Cypriots to block ratification, which they promptly did, not exactly the act of a friendly neighbour.

Ros was intent on making this a genuine factfinding mission, and I was able to raise other issues when her flow of questions ran dry. After all, how often do you get to interview a Prime Minister?

But it was soon time to move on, although there was time for a presentation of gifts, one for us and, most touchingly, one for Sally and Brij to mark their wedding. Next stop, the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture...