President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the substance of the Cyprus issue was discussed during his meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and with specific reference in the statement by the UNFICYP spokesperson.
He added that the date of the informal five-party conference will be set after UNSG's personal envoy upcoming meetings in Athens and Ankara.
Speaking to media representatives at the Presidential Palace on 11 December, the President of the Republic initially expressed his satisfaction with what he described as a very good meeting after a long time.
"And I am pleased first and foremost because the first part of the meeting was devoted to substantive discussions on the Cyprus issue, hence the specific reference to the United Nations communiqué and the UN Security Council resolutions," he said.
He said that they reviewed the confidence-building measures discussed at previous conferences and agreed to focus on specific issues namely the discussions between the Republic of Cyprus and the European Commission on the issue of halloumi cheese.
The second issue, he said, is the construction of a pipeline to transport water from the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Mia Milia to the Republic, saying that this water that can be used for agriculture and the primary sector, ''something for which there has been a relevant agreement since 2011 but which has not progressed.''
Another issue, the President noted, is the reinforcement of personnel at the crossing points.
He added that he raised a number of issues, which the Turkish Cypriot leader undertook to respond to more specifically at the next meeting.
These issues, he said, have to do with the missing persons and the work of the Committee on Missing Persons, the enclaved, the Maronite and Armenian communities, the names of places and villages in the occupied areas, and issues concerning the taxation imposed by the occupation regime as well as about products transported via the Green Line.
The President also referred to the issue of access without procedures and restrictions to churches in the occupied areas, in particular churches that will be restored within the framework of the work of the Cultural Technical Committee.
He also said that he had taken a position on the issues raised by the Turkish Cypriot leader during their last meeting, adding that reference had been made to the role and importance of the European Union in the Cyprus issue solution process.
"I consider the fact that we achieved one of the goals we had set, a goal that I mentioned on my way to the meeting, it is positive that we discussed the substance of the Cyprus issue, hence the specific reference in the joint communiqué, in the statement by the UNFICYP representative," he noted.
Asked when he thinks the informal five-party meeting, which will be a springboard for the resumption of negotiations, might take place, the President of the Republic said that the joint communiqué makes specific reference to the extended conference and that both leaders anticipate this meeting, the date of which will be set after UNSG personal envoy's meetings in Greece tomorrow, where she will meet with the Greek Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He said that after that María Ángela Holguín will travel to Turkey.
"You can understand that after these meetings, and in particular the meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister, we will be able to talk more specifically about the date of this extended conference. For my part, what I can tell you is that next week I am ready to go and participate in such an extended conference," he added.
Replying to another question whether specific reference was made to the crossing points and which ones would be opened and when, President Christodoulides said that the opening of the crossing points was discussed, but there was no agreement on this specific issue.
"There is disagreement. We proposed an alternative concerning crossing points for the movement of people, without cars, but it was not accepted. The discussion on crossing points continues," he added.
When asked whether Erhurman insisted on the four points of the methodology, as he calls them, the President of the Republic said that there was no discussion on this specific issue.
He recalled that he already expressed his position on this specific issue at the previous meeting.
"There was no discussion today on the methodology. Today, there was a discussion on the substance, and I know that methodology is part of the substance, but I am talking about the aspects of the Cyprus issue and confidence-building measures," he noted, adding that he had stated his position on all the issues raised by the Turkish Cypriot in particular.
Asked about the references in the communiqué on political equality, President Christodoulides said that political equality is referred to as recorded in the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
"This reference is particularly important because, if my memory serves me correctly, this is the first time it has appeared in a statement following a meeting between the two leaders since October 2020," he concluded.
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.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected later this year.
María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.
(Source: CNA)
