President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said that discussions on substance and methodology of the Cyprus issue during the upcoming visit of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, and the outcome of the EU’s efforts on the Cyprus problem would determine whether a meeting in a broader format under the UN Secretary-General would take place.
He was speaking on Tuesday after a one-to-one meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman in the UN-protected area of Nicosia International Airport. The meeting between the two leaders lasted approximately an hour and a half. Upon his return to the Presidential Palace, Christodoulides told journalists that it had been a ‘good meeting’, during most of which they discussed issues of substance and methodology.
‘There were many questions and many clarifications from both of us. This is a discussion that will continue during the visit of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Cyprus,’ he said. According to a UN press statement, Holguin is expected to arrive on the island on October 29.
‘Several bilateral meetings have already been scheduled,’ President Christodoulides said, noting that her visit would culminate in a joint meeting.
‘During these meetings with the Personal Envoy, issues of substance and methodology are expected to be the prevalent,’ he added.
Regarding Confidence-Building Measures, Christodoulides said some announcements had been made, referring to the UN statement mentioning initiatives related to the environment and the exchange of cultural artifacts.
‘Beyond that, I am also awaiting some responses from the Turkish Cypriot leader regarding certain proposals we submitted. He asked for more time to respond and requested some clarifications, which I provided. He promised to come back to me at our next meeting,’ he said.
Asked whether he was referring to the 19 proposals he had submitted, the President replied in the affirmative, noting that ‘some of the things we announced are included in the proposals put forward by our side. Some of the issues on which I am awaiting responses are among the 19 proposals. Some of these 19 proposals have been rejected,’ he said.
Asked whether there is any progress about opening new crossing points, the President said that ‘there is a specific proposal for which I am awaiting a response. I made two alternative proposals. One was rejected,’ he said, adding that further clarifications had been requested today on the second. He said the proposal was included among the 19 points he had submitted.
‘The Turkish Cypriot leader asked to come back to me at our next meeting, following the clarifications I provided,’ he added.
The President declined to provide further details about the crossing points covered by the proposals. ‘There is a reason why I have not made the 19 points public. At some point I will do so, so that the Cypriot people know. But since a dialogue is under way, I do not consider it right to do so at this stage. We are much more interested in substance than in communication,’ he said.
He also stressed that the proposal to open the Pyroi-Athienou crossing point ‘is a key prerequisite’.
Regarding the 19 proposals he had put forward, President Christodoulides said he was still awaiting responses on six or seven of them, while some had been rejected. This did not mean, he said, that they would not be put forward again, with further explanations.
As he recalled, the Technical Committee on Youth had been a proposal from his side from the outset of his term, when Rosemary DiCarlo visited Cyprus. ‘It took two years for it to be accepted. Some of the things announced today had been proposed some time ago. The fact that something is rejected does not mean it cannot be put back on the table,’ he said.
Asked what the environmental initiatives would involve, he said they concerned joint initiatives by the Technical Committee on the Environment and were ‘issues we had proposed’.
He added that joint meetings would also be held with the two Technical Committees on Youth and Cultural Heritage, as well as the Civil Society Consultative Body.
Regarding the initiative to exchange cultural artifacts, the President said it was a proposal that his side had made and discussed at the previous meeting.
‘The Turkish Cypriot leader asked for more time, but today he said there was a positive response to our proposal for an exchange of cultural heritage between the two communities. The relevant lists will be exchanged so that we can move forward,’ he said.
Asked whether the two sides were now closer to the goal of holding a meeting on a broader format under the UN Secretary-General following today’s meeting, the President said two factors would determine whether this goal was achieved. ‘One is the discussion of issues of substance and methodology, which will take place during Ms Holguin’s presence here in Cyprus, at both bilateral and trilateral level. The other is the outcome of the EU’s efforts. There is also a very important meeting taking place today,’ he said.
Asked whether he was referring to a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and European Council President Antonio Costa, the President said: ‘I do not want to say anything, since the EU has not made an announcement.’ He noted, however, that he expected to be briefed today on the outcome of that meeting.
Regarding Holguin’s arrival in Cyprus, President Christodoulides said he would meet her ‘as many times as necessary’, noting that some meetings had already been scheduled. ‘If daily meetings become necessary, that will be my priority. Likewise, if Ms Holguin considers that we should meet jointly beforehand, I am ready to do so,’ he said.
The President declined to say whether he intended to ask Holguin to submit the convergences before negotiations begin. Asked about the matter, he said: ‘I prefer to do so first and then inform you,’ noting that the Greek Cypriot side’s position on the convergences was well known. ‘I will discuss it with Ms Holguin and we will state our position,’ he said.
He also pointed out that another one-to-one meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader would take place before the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy arrived in Cyprus, probably next Tuesday.
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.