ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS ARRIVED AT THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY IN ATHENS ON SATURDAY (30 NOVEMBER), AND WAS GREETED BY THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER, MR. CONSTANTINE KARAMANLIS, WHEN TALKS OPENED BETWEEN THE LEADERS OF GREECE AND THE GREEK-CYPRIOT COMMUNITY IN CYPRUS. THE OBJECT OF THE TALKS, WHICH WERE PLANNED TO LAST TWO DAYS, WAS TO SEEK A COMMON STAND ON FURTHER HANDLING OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM.

ALSO PRESENT DURING THE TWO-HOUR SESSION OF TALKS WAS THE ACTING-PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS, MR. GLAFKOS CLERIDES, WHO TOOK PART AS A MEMBER OF THE GREEK-CYPRIOT DELEGATION.

AFTER THE MEETING, ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS TOLD NEWSMEN THAT THEY HAD MADE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION IN CYPRUS, AND HAD EXCHANGED VIEWS ON THE POSSIBILITIES FOR A SOLUTION TO THE ISLAND'S PROBLEMS IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

PRIME MINISTER KARAMANLIS SAID THAT AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE WOULD BE ISSUED AFTER THE SECOND CESSION OF TALKS, DUE TO BE HELD THE NEXT DAY (SUNDAY).

ARCHBISHOP MARKARIOS IS DUE TO RETURN TO CYPRUS NEXT FRIDAY (6 DECEMBER). IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME HE HAS VISITED THE ISLAND SINCE HE LEFT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE ARMED UPRISING AGAINST HIS GOVERNMENT, NEARLY FIVE MONTHS AGO.

WHEN HE ARRIVED IN ATHENS FROM FRANKFURT THE PREVIOUS DAY, HE HAD SPOKEN OUT STRONGLY AGAINST THE FORMER GREEK MILITARY JUNTA. HE BLAMED THE COLONELS FOR ORGANISING THE ATTEMPTED COUP AGAINST HIS GOVERNMENT IN JULY, AND SAID THE COUP HAD OPENED THE DOORS FOR THE JURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS.

THE SERIES OF TALKS IN ATHENS THIS WEEKEND ARE INTENDED TO FIND A COMMON POLICY ON THE BASIS OF WHICH THE ACTING-PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS, MR. CLERIDES, CAN CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TURKISH-CYPRIOT LEADER, MR. RAUF DENKTASH, IN THE SEARCH FOR A LASTING POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE ISLAND'S PROBLEMS.

ACCORDING TO SOME SOURCES, MR. CLERIDES HAD EXPRESSED A RELUCTANCE TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TURKISH-CYPRIOT LEADERSHIP, UNLESS THERE WAS A UNITED VIEW BETWEEN THE GREEK GOVERNMENT AND THE GREEK-CYPRIOT LEADERSHIP.