‘The EU wishes to have a presence and an active role in the UN Secretary-General’s initiative on the Cyprus issue at all stages,’ government sources said following the meeting between the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the European Council, António Costa, on Thursday afternoon in Brussels, directly linking progress on EU-Turkey issues with parallel developments on the Cyprus issue. On its part, a European source told CNA that President Costa made it clear that there are other factors in the equation as well, noting that Turkey is a candidate country for accession and that, because of this, more criteria are taken into consideration, such as the rule of law and the economy.
The government sources also said that, during her visit to Brussels, the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, will also meet with Costa.
Initially, regarding the part of the discussion concerning the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, a government source said that during the meeting President Costa congratulated the President of the Republic ‘for the excellent work carried out by the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as for the high level of cooperation that existed throughout the duration of the Presidency.’
According to the same source, particular reference was made to the substantial progress achieved on issues of high political importance and great complexity, as well as on issues that had remained open for years and on which the Cypriot Presidency managed to advance significant deliverables. The President of the Republic thanked President Costa for the cooperation and support, stressing that the Cypriot Presidency approached its mission with seriousness, consistency, and full awareness of the responsibility it had undertaken.
In addition, the government source told CNA that the President of the Republic told President Costa that he feels proud of what the Cypriot Presidency achieved, noting that this effort was approached as a national mission. The course of the Presidency, the commitment to its goals, and the results recorded reflect the institutional adequacy and credibility of the Republic of Cyprus at the European level.
The government source added that from the EU side there is a clear understanding that the EU-Turkey agenda cannot develop separately from the Cyprus issue and from Turkey’s obligations towards the Republic of Cyprus and the EU, and that President Costa made it clear that any progress on EU-Turkey issues is directly linked to corresponding progress on the Cyprus issue.
According to the government source, President Costa informed that he had two communications with the UN Secretary-General, within the framework of supporting the European effort towards the UN Secretary-General’s initiative, and that the EU supports the UN Secretary-General’s initiative and wishes to see substantial progress on the Cyprus issue.
It was underlined that the EU wishes to have a presence and an active role at all stages of the process, from the beginning, in a way that substantially supports the effort for the resumption and progress of negotiations, within the framework defined by the resolutions of the UN Security Council. In addition, the Turkish side is showing interest in the EU-Turkey agenda, with emphasis on specific issues such as the Customs Union, visa liberalisation, and SAFE.
It was further stressed that the aspect of the EU acquis is fundamental to the process and can act as a catalyst for achieving progress on a series of substantive issues. The position conveyed by the European side, according to the government source, is that the EU wishes and seeks to be present, active, and substantially involved in the process from the initial stage, making use of its role as the institutional framework within which the process will operate.
A European source confirmed the good atmosphere of the meeting and the discussion, with President Costa reminding that there are other factors in the equation as well, noting that Turkey is a candidate country for accession and that the criteria taken into account are therefore broader, such as the rule of law and the economy. In addition, the European source confirmed Costa’s two recent communications with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, during which they referred to the Cyprus problem.
Regarding the rest of the meeting’s agenda, President Costa congratulated the President of the Republic on the ‘successful Cyprus Presidency,’ personally thanking President Christodoulides ‘ for the important progress made against a challenging political backdrop’.
Today’s discussion at the European Council was also part of the agenda, regarding both the review of the Presidency expected to be presented by President Christodoulides, as well as the structure of the discussion concerning competitiveness and the ‘One Europe, One Market’ plan.