President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades reiterated on Tuesday to the UN his readiness for a social meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci that would take place without any preconditions.
Anastasiades received the UNSG`s Special Representative in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar who told the media, after the meeting, that she was continuing to talk with both sides on the island. The UN is currently engaged in an effort to arrange a social meeting between Anastasiades and Akinci, with a view to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table for talks aiming to solve the Cyprus problem.
In statements after the meeting, Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said that the UN continues its effort to arrange a meeting between Anastasiades and Akinci and that the President reiterated to Spehar his readiness for a social meeting, without any preconditions.
On her part, asked if there is any development, Spehar noted: “All I can say is that I am continuing to talk with both sides and as soon as there is more news I will surely let you know.”
Asked if any preconditions are set out by the Turkish Cypriot side, Prodromou said there is nothing else to comment, noting that the UN continues its effort.
Invited to say why this effort does not bear fruit, the Spokesman said that “you may be informed about this by the UN which is making this effort.”
Asked if Nicosia will ask for the postponement of the EU-Turkey Varna Summit scheduled for March 26, Prodromou said that President Anastasiades will once again outline during the European Council meeting that will take place in Brussels,s on March 22-23, Nicosia`s positions and “we will seek on the basis of the preparatory work that has been done by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to secure our EU partners solidarity.”
Noting that President Anastasiades had outlined Nicosia`s positions during the informal European Council meeting held in February, Prodromou recalled the statement which the President of the European Council Donald Tusk made after the informal European Council meeting regarding Turkey`s illegal violations in the Eastern Mediterranean, on behalf of all the EU leaders.
Tusk expressed some explicit positions about the Republic of Cyprus, its rights, the way everyone in the area must behave and the fact that Turkey must terminate its provocations, Prodromou said, adding that Tusk had also announced that final decisions about the Varna Summit would be taken during the European Council meeting on March 22-23.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. The latest round of UN-peace talks at the Swiss resort of Crans – Montana ended without an agreement. Talks held under the auspices of the UN aim at reunifying Cyprus under a federal roof.