As consultations continue with regard to the final drafting of a substantive joint communique, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has called for a meeting tomorrow of the island’s political party leaders
The President will then travel to Athens on Thursday for consultations with the Greek government.
Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides told reporters on Wednesday that “with the aim to ensure the necessary unity on the domestic front, the President of the Republic will convene tomorrow a meeting of the political party leaders, and on Friday, 7 February, he will meet with the Prime Minister of Greece, in Athens”.
Stylianides said “the important consultations with regard to the final drafting of a substantive joint communique are continuing”.
He underlined that the consultations “call for delicate handling, seriousness and responsible attitude by each and every one of us.”
He added that in the framework of the President’s clear position for collective approach, he will convene a meeting of the party political leaders tomorrow at 11am, and on Friday he will meet, in Athens, with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Greece for consultations regarding the developments on the Cyprus problem”.
To a remark that the Foreign Minister had stated that we are very close to a final joint communique and if this was the case, the Spokesman replied “I have repeatedly said and today’s statement precisely reflects the facts. I have talked about the final drafting of a substantive joint communique”.
However, he said that in the Cyprus problem, “many times we are very close and very far. One word many times can make the difference”.
Cyprus is divided since the Turkish invasion of 1974. The latest round of UN backed talks began in 2008 but was suspended in the summer of 2012 by the Turkish side, when the Republic of Cyprus assumed the six- month presidency of the Council of the EU.
During the past months the UN have been meeting with the negotiators of the two communities on the island – Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots – with the aim to reach an agreement on a joint statement that would pave the way for the resumption of the Cyprus talks.