We don’t overlook any difficulties and challenges in the efforts to resume the Cyprus talks but we are not at an impasse, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday, in press statements before the Cyprus Forum in Nicosia.
The President, who returned from the UNGA in NYC on Sunday, where he held meetings with UNSG and his personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin, was invited to comment on a statement by Holguin that the momentum is gradually lost. He spoke about those who see a stalemate in the Cyprus dialogue, pointing out “I don’t know where they get their information from”.
He said that he is going to brief the members of the National Council on Wednesday and from there on “we will be able to say a lot more [on the issue]”.
President Christodoulides went on to say that the UN Secretary General is absolutely committed to the resumption of talks and is working in this direction. He said that our side supports his efforts, bringing on the table specific ideas concerning both the methodology, the substance and the confidence building measures, describing these proposals as “new and constructive”.
“And we get a positive response from the Secretary General”, he said.
President Christodoulides said that there are difficulties and challenges mostly in relation to the position of the Turkish side for a two-state solution.
Asked about the next steps he said that UNSG’s envoy will be visiting Cyprus and that there are onging efforts on behalf of the EU.
“The European Union plays an important role. It was a matter that was discussed between the Secretary General, the President of the EU Commission and the President of the Council,” he said.
He added that we expect that meetings will take place between the EU and Turkey. He noted that there is a huge effort underway with very specific actions and not just words regarding the three issues the UNSG set and “we are working for developments”.
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 Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.