President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, expressed optimism on Tuesday that ongoing efforts on the Cyprus issue will lead to an expanded conference at which the resumption of reunification talks will be officially announced.
In statements at Polemidia, inn Limassol district, on the sidelines of the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the “ADONIS III” housing complex, President Christodoulides was asked to comment on recent remarks by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, regarding the Cyprus issue. ‘I will not comment on what the Turkish Cypriot leader has said,’ the President noted, adding that recent developments confirm the momentum of the initiative currently underway.
The President noted that ‘this major effort continues in order to create the conditions necessary for an expanded conference, during which the resumption of negotiations will be announced.’
He added that the initiative is being actively supported by the UN Secretary – General António Guterres, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Maria Angela Holguin, and the European Union, which he said is playing an enhanced role in the renewed diplomatic effort.
According to President Christodoulides, the initiative began following a meeting between the UN Secretary-General and Recep Tayyip Erdogan last March, followed by his own meeting with Guterres in Brussels.
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.