Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, expressed on Tuesday their determination to positively respond to the UN Secretary-General’s commitment to explore the possibility to convene an informal five-plus-United Nations meeting, in a conducive climate, at an appropriate stage.
Anastasiades and Tatar had their first informal meeting at the residence of the UNSG`s Special Representative in Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar. According to a statement by the United Nations Spokesperson in Cyprus the meeting provided them an opportunity to get to know each other and to have their first informal exchange of views in a cordial atmosphere.
Today, the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, “met for the first time as the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities. Their informal meeting took place under the auspices of the Special Representative/Deputy Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar, and it provided them an opportunity to get to know each other and to have their first informal exchange of views in a cordial atmosphere,” the spokesperson noted.
He added that Tatar and Anastasiades “expressed their determination to positively respond to the UN Secretary-General’s commitment to explore the possibility to convene an informal five-plus-United Nations meeting, in a conducive climate, at an appropriate stage.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. The latest UN backed round of talks took place in the Swiss resort of Crans Montana in 2017 but failed to yield any results.
