Christodoulides to propose more active EU involvement in settlement process

Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, begins his contacts in Brussels this week, aiming among others to promote his proposal for a more active involvement of the European Union, in a bid to avert the impasse in the Cyprus settlement process.

As Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis told CNA, meetings with the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, have already been scheduled.

At the same time, as the Spokesperson noted, the President of the Republic will hold meetings on the sidelines of the European Council with the President of France Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson who holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU this semester, while a meeting is also expected to be arranged with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

On the morning of 23 March, and ahead of the European Council Summit, President Christodoulides will have the opportunity to present his proposal for a more active EU involvement, in an effort to immediately lift the impasse in the Cyprus issue in line with UN parameters, before the leaders of the European People's Party (EPP). There has already been a telephone conversation with EPP President Manfred Weber and it was agreed that President Christodoulides will take the floor to detail his proposal before the Summit of EPP, the largest political group of the European Parliament, Letymbiotis noted.

The Spokesman also said that at the beginning of April, President Christodoulides is expected to visit Egypt, while he will also go to Israel after Easter.

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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

(Source: CNA)