Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has asked UN Secretary General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide to put down on paper the convergences and mutual understandings achieved so far and the differences which remain between the two sides on the ongoing UN- led Cyprus reunification talks.
In statements after having received Eide at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, President Anastasiades said that he asked to be put down in writing “what the convergences are, in what matters there is a mutual understanding and which are the matters on which differences remain.”
This way, he explained, “all involved parties will have an objective knowledge as to which direction they should take when speaking either for progress or for the conditions for progress to be achieved.”
Asked whether the goal remains to reach a solution within 2016 President Anastasiades said that “this will depend on the parties,” adding that “I don`t just mean a positive disposition but also whether what has been agreed as a basis for a real federal solution is what is meant, without the inclusion of con-federal elements.”
Referring to his meeting with Eide the Cypriot President said that “since certain events were clarified and should not be repeated in future, I consider that today`s meeting, with my proposals has set a framework within which the talks should proceed, with an excellent knowledge of the current state of affairs.”
Replying to a journalist`s comment that in his statements Eide spoke of a more intensive process, Anastasiades said that it is natural that this should happen, but what needs to happen prior to that is to know precisely the state of affairs on the negotiating table, if we want there to be progress and to resolve differences on the basis of both the High Level Agreements and the joint communique of February 11, 2014.
Cyprus was divided in 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN led talks resumed in May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof.
The President of Cyprus had decided not to attend a dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in honour of the Heads of State and Government who attended the UN World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, in late May, after he learned that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was invited to the dinner and was going to attend it. Moreover, Akinci had a meeting in Istanbul with Ban, in the presence of the latter`s Special Adviser on Cyprus, something which also caused Nicosia`s reactions.
Following these events, Anastasiades decided to cancel his last scheduled meeting, in Nicosia, with Eide, as well as his meeting with Akinci.
In a telephone conversation on May 27 Ban assured President Anastasiades that the UN`s policy on Cyprus remains unchanged.
“With reference to recent events in Istanbul, the Secretary-General reiterated that the UN’s policy on Cyprus has not changed. The Republic of Cyprus is the Member State of the UN. The bi-communal dialogue that takes place under UN auspices aims at reaching a settlement of the Cyprus issue based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” a readout said.
President Anastasiades announced that he would meet again with Akinci on Wednesday June 8, on the sidelines of a bi-communal event at the House of Cooperation, in Nicosia, last Thursday.