Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office Nicos Christodoulides
The sincere wish of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides for a solution in Cyprus will be reflected in the proposals they put forward at the negotiating table, the Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office Nicos Christodoulides has pointed out.
Invited to comment on statements by the Turkish side on their good will for a political settlement, Christodoulides told CNA that “the good will of the two sides for a Cyprus solution is interpreted and will be evident through the proposals they present at the negotiating table and not through public statements, which are possibly made with a view to create certain impressions.”
Asked also to comment on public remarks by Turkish officials and Turkish Cypriots on a “solution very soon”, which probably indicate timetables with regard to the solution, he stressed that there are no timeframes as far as the negotiations are concerned.
Turkish officials have referred to a solution “within three months”.
“There is no timeframe in the ongoing negotiating process. Everything will be dealt with at the negotiating table,” he added.
A Joint Declaration, agreed on by the leaders of the island’s two communities, Cyprus Present Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, in February this year points out that “the leaders expressed their determination to resume structured negotiations in a results-oriented manner. All unresolved core issues will be on the table, and will be discussed interdependently. The leaders will aim to reach a settlement as soon as possible, and hold separate simultaneous referenda thereafter.”
The negotiations, the Declaration adds, “are based on the principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”
“The sides will seek to create a positive atmosphere to ensure the talks succeed. They commit to avoiding blame games or other negative public comments on the negotiations. They also commit to efforts to implement confidence building measures that will provide a dynamic impetus to the prospect for a united Cyprus.”
UN-led talks resume in February this year, following the agreed Joint Declaration. President Anastasiades and Eroglu have already met once while the negotiators of the two sides, Andreas Mavroyiannis and Kudret Ozersay, have regular weekly meetings. Anastasiades and Eroglu are set to meet again on March 31.