Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday that this is a historic day for Cyprus, as the Conference on Cyprus which addresses the issue of security and guarantees got underway in Geneva, adding that this is the beginning of the dialogue and that the process will not be easy.
However we are here to utilize this procedure which we hope will lead to positive results, he added, noting that there was nothing new from speeches of the parties participating in the Conference during its first session and that “we did not expect to hear anything different.”
He said that the only solid suggestion made so far was the one made by Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, for which good comments were heard by some of the participants.
He said that a new session will take place in the afternoon and there is an intention to continue on Friday and “we will see accordingly how to proceed.”
Christodoulides said that the UNSG very correctly said that this is the beginning of a discussion “certainly not an easy dialogue, which we hope will bring a positive outcome through the exchange of views and above all the will of those involved,” adding that what is most important is to reach a solution depicting the fact that Cyprus is an EU member state.
“We participate in this process with seriousness and we hope to reach positive results,” he added
Replying to a question he said that during the working lunch they had after the first session, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini took the floor and several views were expressed.
He said that the second session will begin at 1830 local time and that there is also a scheduled meeting for tomorrow until midday and then they will decide how to proceed.
The spokesman noted also what the UNSG himself said in his statements in his opening speech and during the working lunch that any agreement must at the end of the day be approved by the people of Cyprus, is important.
Therefore any agreement must not be outside a framework which cannot be accepted, he stressed.
Christodoulides said they were fully satisfied with the speeches made by the President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker and Mogherini because they described the EU`s responsibilities towards its member sates on security issues.
He noted that the EU was present at the Conference at the highest possible level as the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state and will continue to be after the settlement of its problem. Christodoulides said that Anastasiades will meet on Friday morning with Mogherini.
Asked if there is a formula on security drafted by the EU in cooperation with certain countries as Germany, he noted that there is no proposal by the EU or by any of its member states as Germany.
Both Juncker and Mogherini, he noted, said that they will continue to have an active role in this effort and particularly as regards the security and guarantees chapter.
Responding to another question the spokesman said that through his intervention at the first session of the Conference, Anastasiades expressed positions both as leader of the Greek Cypriot community and as President of the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state.
He added that it was clear that Anastasiades is here both in his capacity as the President of the Republic of Cyprus and as leader of the Greek Cypriot community.
To a remark by a journalist that Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke about “a so called Republic of Cyprus”, he said that the fact that Turkey does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus does not in any way affect the international personality of the Republic of Cyprus.
Replying to another question he said that a discussion took place after a proposal made by President Anastasiades in the framework of his proposal, about the need to secure the implementation of the settlement.
“This is a concern among all the people of Cyprus and it is positive that we have the intention by the UN” to address this issue, he added.
Furthermore Christodoulides said that bilateral and trilateral meetings take place on the sidelines of the sessions of the Conference.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May 2015 with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.