The great effort begins today, a first important positive step was taken, Christodoulides says

The great effort begins today, Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, said after the conclusion of the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format in Geneva, expressing satisfaction with the outcome.

In statements to journalists on the evening of 18 March, after the plenary of the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format, convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President Christodoulides said that “today a first important positive step was taken towards the resumption of talks,” which is the big goal, he said.

He added that he considers three issues from Geneva to be the most important: the decision of the Secretary-General to appoint a Personal Envoy, the announcement of a new informal meeting at the end of July and the joint letter of the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to the UN Secretary-General.

He also said that he would soon convene a special session of the National Council for a further in-depth assessment of all that emerged from the informal meeting in Geneva and on the Greek Cypriot side’s moves until the end of July when the new meeting is to take place in the same form as this one.

President Christodoulides said that “taking into account the public rhetoric that we heard from the other side when coming to Geneva, I want to express my satisfaction with the result, for the fact that there are developments in the right direction after 2017, as the UN Secretary-General himself stated during his press conference.”

“Today, a first important, positive step was taken towards the resumption of talks”, he said. Noting that this is the big goal, he said, “we are not there yet but since 2017, and I use the words of the Secretary-General, a first important step was taken.”

Referring to the joint letter of the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council to the UN Secretary-General, he said that it “determines, without allowing any different interpretation, doubt, different approach, the EU’s position in relation to the resolution of the Cyprus problem, something that naturally also touches on the EU’s relations with Turkey and Ankara’s wishes.”

President Christodoulides also said that “this great effort, of course does not end today, I can say that this great effort begins today”. He added that they had a plan on how to proceed, noting that he would soon convene a special session of the National Council to evaluate in depth the outcome of the meeting, but also on how to proceed until the end of July when the new meeting will take place.

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)