The clear prerequisites put forward by the Greek Cypriot side at the Greentree meeting between President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias, Turkish Cypriot Leader Dervis Eroglu and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are evident within the UN Secretary General’s statement, President Christofias has said.
In statements he made to the press after the conclusion of the three-day meeting at Greentree, New York, the President said that “discussions took place without the achievement of progress again,” adding that this was due to the fact that “both sides remain firm on their positions.”
President Christofias expressed his point of view that the invitation of Ban to the two leaders was not justified as no progress had been made in the last two-and-a-half months.
“We have so noted both in a letter we sent to the Secretary General and during a meeting we had with him,” he said, adding that “we were clear that any progress achieved should be significant and resolving the internal aspects of the Cyprus issue.” Then, he noted, “we can proceed – as is provided for by UN Security Council resolutions – with the possibility of an international conference.”
President Christofias explained that both sides are firm on their positions as regards issues of governance, not only as far as the executive power is concerned but also as regards external relations, international treaties and airspace.
Referring to the property issue, he said that in all discussions held the issue is connected with the territory issue, expressing appreciation towards the UN Secretary General because in all his and his team’s relevant remarks the connection between the two is emphasised.
President Christofias also said that the Turkish side submitted certain data outside the deadline defined, adding that the data could also be found on the internet. This, he noted, constitutes a violation of the commitment of both sides for the creation of a committee which would discuss the relevant data confidentially.
“Unfortunately the Turkish side did not respond,” he said, adding that “the matter is still unresolved and the General Secretary’s statement calls on both sides to exchange certain important data concerning the property issue and to simultaneously discuss the property issue.”
That does not necessarily mean that maps should be presented, he said, specifying that this is “not what we are asking for.“
“We are asking for the Turkish Cypriot side`s intention as regards our basic demand for territorial adjustments,” he stressed, explaining that this is means that 100,000 refugees from 1974 ought to be offered the possibility to return under Greek Cypriot rule and to have full ownership of their properties.
This will greatly help in order to discuss with an open mind the issue of property as regards properties remaining under Turkish Cypriot rule, he said.
Referring to the possibility of an international conference being convened and of timetables being set, President Christofias reiterated that he made it clear to the UN Secretary General that he will not accept a timetable for the international conference.
“The Secretary General expresses intentions in his statement, but under specific prerequisites,” he noted, adding that “the prerequisite is that significant progress will be achieved, which will meet with our approval and which Downer will report on.”
The Secretary General, President Christofias said, will consult us on whether this progress exists and on whether the conference will be convened,” stressing that the UN Secretary General’s position “will be in accordance with the last UN resolution and all the others UN Security Council resolutions as regards an international conference being convened.”
He further said that he would have wished for progress to have been achieved, thus noting that he leaves from Greentree “not satisfied”.
Referring to Cyprus` EU presidency, which has been put forward as a milestone, President Christofias said that he has been very clear and decisive on this issue.
“I have made it clear that there is no correlation between Cyprus` presidency – which is the presidency of the Republic of Cyprus and not of the Greek Cypriot side – and the possibility for an international conference to be convened or of the solution of the Cyprus issue,“ he said.
President Christofias expressed the wish that the Turkish stance changes before July so that a solution can be achieved.
“I think it will be very hard,” he said, “having in mind Eroglu’s persistence on various issues which we cannot accept.”
Unless Turkey is truly pressed to change its position there is no chance for an international conference to be convened and for the Cyprus issue to be resolved, he stressed.
Commenting on the part of Ban’s statement referring to the achievement of limited progress, President Christofias said that “if the fact that there has been agreement for the exchange of data can be considered progress, then let us call it progress.”
He noted however that no progress has been achieved on the substance of the various issues.
The President also said that upon his return to Cyprus “we are fully ready and have all the necessary data which will be confidential.”
Replying to a question as to how it can be made sure that the UN Secretary General`s Special Advisor for Cyprus Alexander Downer will move within the context of UN resolutions, since many were the times that he moved in the opposite direction, President Christofias noted that “there is always the Security Council.”
Despite the fact that Downer has acted in an adverse with UN Security Council resolutions manner in the past, the Security Council has on quite a few occasions ensured that the direction of the process is different from the one Downer wanted to follow, he pointed out.
“We have a multifaceted and multidimensional foreign policy,” President Christofias pointed out, adding that “our contact with Security Council members is on a daily basis and it follows that we will be able to judge whether there is progress or not and to speak up about it in public.”
Moreover, President Christofias said that the Government will speak out if issues regarding the internal aspects of the problem are not resolved, stressing that «neither Downer nor any Downer can reach any arbitrary conclusions without being able to fall back on some evidence.“
Referring to the process to be followed upon his return to Cyprus, he said that it will be the same as before, something which is not particularly to his liking.
“We will keep to the specifications of the process with great diligence,” he added.