- Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the visit is part of efforts to prepare an informal multilateral conference on Cyprus.
- Letymbiotis said Guterres’ presence sends a message to those maintaining the current deadlock.
- He said an informal multilateral conference could be held before the end of summer if Turkey adopts a constructive approach and drops its two-state position.
- Letymbiotis said any negotiations must stay within UN Security Council resolutions and respect EU principles, values and legal framework.
The upcoming UN visit to Cyprus by Secretary-General António Guterres is a significant development and not merely a ceremonial event, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis has said.
Speaking to CyBC, Letymbiotis noted that this will be the first visit by a UN Secretary-General to Cyprus in 16 years.
He said the visit forms part of Guterres’ efforts to create the conditions needed to convene an informal multilateral conference on the Cyprus issue.
Push to restart negotiations
According to Letymbiotis, the Secretary-General’s presence in Cyprus sends a clear message to those who have invested in maintaining the current deadlock.
He expressed optimism that an informal multilateral conference could take place before the end of the summer, provided Turkey adopts a constructive approach and abandons its position in favour of a two-state solution.
The government spokesperson said the conference’s main objective would be to restart negotiations from the point where they were suspended.
Talks must remain within UN framework
Commenting on reports of possible new ideas for resolving the Cyprus issue, Letymbiotis stressed that any negotiating process must remain within the framework of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
He added that negotiations must also respect the principles, values and legal framework of the European Union.
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