Substantive preparation to ensure that the resumption of talks will be announced at the next expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue will be the focus of discussions in the coming period, based on a federal framework for a solution, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou said in interviews with “Phileleftheros” and “Haravgi”, published on Sunday.
Regarding confidence-building measures, Menelaou referred to the other side’s obstruction of progress, followed by ‘invoking the lack of progress as an excuse for things not moving forward, including on substantive issues’.
He said that the recording of convergence had begun and that these would subsequently be shared with all those involved: with the two sides in Cyprus regarding internal aspects, and with the guarantor powers and the parties to the Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance regarding external aspects. The next step, he said, would be to convene an expanded meeting with the aim of deciding on the resumption of talks towards a comprehensive settlement.
Speaking to “Phileleftheros”, Menelaou said that the two sides were in contact and that, as announced, a new meeting between the two leaders would take place on 26 August.
He noted that meetings at leadership level had become more frequent since last October, but stressed that, beyond the number and frequency of meetings, what mattered most was substance. ‘There must be political will if we are to achieve results,’ he said.
He further noted that the focus of discussions in the coming period would be the substantive preparation required to ensure that a further expanded meeting would take place, with the aim of deciding on the resumption of talks.
He also said that the UN Secretary-General’s visit to Cyprus had ‘certainly had a positive impact’ ‘because there are next steps, the necessary groundwork will be carried out, based on the convergences which, as we have said, are centred on the federal framework. This is clear. And it is very important that this was stated, at a time when Turkey continues to repeat its positions on a ‘two-state’ solution,’ he stressed.
Menelaou added that, to date, the Greek Cypriot side had been faced with a recurring pattern from the Turkish side, namely Ankara repeating its position in favour of a ‘two-state’ solution, which was reiterated following the UN Secretary-General’s visit, as he noted, as well as ‘an ambiguity regarding the position of the Turkish Cypriot side, which has not clearly expressed publicly its commitment to the federal framework’. He also referred to a broader approach on the Turkish side throughout the previous period ‘which has acted as a delaying tactic and slowed developments’.
He expressed hope that this would not be the pattern that the Greek Cypriot side would continue to face in the coming period. ‘In any case, on the part of the Secretary-General there is the determination and commitment to move forward, as he said in his statement. And on our part, we will do everything that is required of us to ensure that things move forward,’ he said.
Regarding confidence-building measures, Menelaou referred to the other side’s obstruction of progress ‘and then invoking the lack of progress as an excuse for preventing things from moving forward on substantive issues’.
‘I am stating the facts. We are neither interested in nor served by the game of deciding who is to blame,’ he said.
He noted that, during the Secretary-General’s presence in Cyprus, another effort had been made to reach an agreement on opening additional crossing points, including a compromise proposal concerning the route of the Athienou-Pyroi-Aglandjia crossing, as part of a package that would also include the Mia Milia crossing.
‘Our response to this proposal was positive. The same did not apply to the response from the Turkish Cypriot side,’ he said, adding that it had put forward additional demands, one of which was the inclusion of the crossing point linking Lymbia with Louroujina. He said the Greek Cypriot side had responded that this could be done by also including its own proposal for Kokkina, but that this too was not accepted by the Turkish Cypriot side. He recalled that the Greek Cypriot side had also proposed a pedestrian crossing in Nicosia’s walled city as a first step.
He said the Greek Cypriot side wanted an agreement on the crossing points and would continue to facilitate efforts to reach one, but added that ‘substantive steps, however, must move forward’.
‘Because the impression arising from statements by the Turkish Cypriot side is that it appears to be treating the issue as a precondition,’ he said, adding that this pointed to the same pattern that had emerged throughout the previous period. ‘Obstructing progress and then invoking that lack of progress as a justification for obstructing steps on substantive issues,’ he added.
‘The basis for a solution is the federal framework’
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In his interview with “Haravgi”, Menelaou stressed that the basis for a solution was the federal framework, ‘a single state’.
He also said that, throughout the previous period, ‘we have encountered an approach from the Turkish side aimed at slowing developments’. He expressed hope that the next steps and the convening of the expanded meeting would not face the same obstacle.
He said the Greek Cypriot side remained committed to the basis for a solution and to preserving the acquis of the talks, the convergences and the six points of the Guterres Framework. However, he noted that there were statements from Turkey, as well as within the Turkish Cypriot community, continuing to call for a ‘two-state’ solution.
He said that, since the change in the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, the new Turkish Cypriot leadership had made no public reference to a federal solution and that, in practice, ‘we cannot assess the position of the Turkish Cypriot side independently of the line being advocated by Turkey’. Consequently, he stressed, there was an issue regarding the Turkish side’s position that needed to be clarified.
He noted that Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhrman, ‘made a shift last December by referring to political equality in accordance with UN resolutions, which we acknowledged’. ‘And we said that political equality is inextricably linked to the federal framework, and therefore to one state, which is something different from sovereign equality, which means ‘two states’,’ he added. Recognising the limitations created by Turkey’s position, Menelaou said, ‘we gave Mr Erhrman the necessary benefit of the doubt. However, we cannot overlook the prolonged absence of any public reference to a federal solution. Nor can we overlook the approach of slowing down the effort,’ he added.
He cited as an example the Turkish Cypriot side’s rejection of the UN compromise proposal on opening new crossing points. ‘And then we hear statements from the Turkish Cypriot side that progress on confidence-building measures is a precondition for moving the effort forward and addressing substantive issues,’ he said.
Regarding the convergences, he said that their recording had begun and that they would subsequently be shared with all those involved: with the two sides in Cyprus regarding the internal aspects, and with the guarantor powers and the parties to the Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance regarding the external aspects. The next step, he said, would be to convene an expanded meeting with the aim of deciding on the resumption of talks towards a comprehensive settlement.
He said that keeping the public informed was an essential step and that this, too, would be carried out in tandem with the progress of the process.
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.