The UN Secretary-General is extremely supportive of the upcoming Geneva meeting on Cyprus and will support it in whatever way he can, UNSG spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, has said.
Dujarric`s comments come as the two Cyprus leaders, President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, are about to meet in Geneva Switzerland on January 9-11 in the context of the UN-sponsored talks to discuss all outstanding issues for a Cyprus settlement and exchange maps. On January 12 a conference on Cyprus will be convened in the presence of the guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey and the UK) and other relevant parties as needed to discuss the issue of guarantees and security.
“Obviously the Secretary-General is extremely supportive of this process and will support it in whatever way he can,” Dujarric said, replying to questions.
The Geneva meeting on January 12, he added, “will bring together the guarantor powers and other relevant parties to negotiate in agreement on the more highly sensitive issues that remain outstanding.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. President Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci have been engaged in UN-backed talks since May 2015 with a view to reunify the island under a federal roof.