President Nikos Christodoulides has highlighted three key conclusions from the informal conference in Geneva, namely the appointment of a personal envoy, the scheduling of a new meeting in July, and the joint letter from the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council to the UN Secretary-General.
In an interview published in the Sunday edition of “Phileleftheros” newspaper President Christodoulides assessed the recent informal conference in Geneva, noting that we are facing significant initial developments that need to be utilised for the resumption of the Cyprus talks.
According to his assessment, the three most important issues from Geneva are “the UN Secretary-General’s decision to appoint a personal envoy tasked with determining the next steps in the effort to resume negotiations based on the agreed framework”, adding before Geneva, the Turkish side was opposed to such a prospect”.
The second issue is that “a new meeting of this expanded format was scheduled for late July to review progress and determine the next steps”, the President said, adding that before Geneva, the Turkish side was betting on failure and deadlock to reinforce its narrative that the basis for a solution needed to change,” he clarified.
Third, and particularly important, he said, “I consider the joint letter from the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council to the UN Secretary-General, which was also communicated to both myself and (Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin) Tatar.” He said the letter clearly defines the EU position on the resolution of the Cyprus issue, leaving no room for alternative interpretations. It also touches upon EU-Turkey relations and Ankara’s aspirations. Before Geneva, some were speaking of a downgraded EU interest, he added.
He also noted that the fact that momentum was maintained and efforts continue is certainly something worth noting as a positive aspect of our assessment.
President Christodoulides estimated that “if the other side genuinely approaches this new phase with sincerity and real willingness, positive steps can be taken, leading to a mutually beneficial situation for all residents of our country and, more broadly, for the security and stability of the region.”
Regarding his upcoming meeting with Ersin Tatar next Wednesday and what one might hope for, the President said that the meeting is an initiative from our side.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17-18. Antonio Guterres also announced that he will appoint a new personal envoy on Cyprus to prepare the next steps, while the two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, involving the opening of crossing points, the creation of a Technical Committee on Youth and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.
Also read: Cyprus Informal Meeting in Geneva aims to revive negotiations
Source: CNA
