British Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty, is expected to arrive in Cyprus on Thursday afternoon, March 6, for contacts on Friday, March 7, with both sides ahead of the informal expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue, that will take place in Geneva on March 17 and 18, CNA has learnt.
According to information CNA has obtained, Doughty is expected to arrive in Cyprus on Thursday afternoon and, on Friday, he will hold separate meetings with the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Ersin Tatar, as well as with Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, the leaders of political parties DISY and AKEL, Annita Demetriou and Stefanos Stefanou, respectively, and the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Tufan Erhurman. Doughty’s visit to Cyprus is taking place ahead of the informal meeting in Geneva on the Cyprus issue, the same sources said.
In the meantime, competent sources told CNA that the Presidential Office in Nicosia was awaiting responses from party leaders on whether they were interested in going to Geneva. Former President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, has already said that he would go.
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.