Nicosia: The UN Secretary-General's objective of resuming Cyprus peace talks from where they were left off is fully aligned with the Republic of Cyprus' position, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday after President Nikos Christodoulides met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Letymbiotis described the meeting as "substantive and frank", welcoming Guterres' "sincere and strong personal political commitment" to efforts aimed at restarting negotiations. He said the Republic of Cyprus stands ready to contribute in every possible way to ensure that this political commitment is translated into concrete developments.
"Those developments can only be the resumption of negotiations from the point where they were interrupted," he said, adding that Nicosia will continue supporting the efforts of both the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy.
He noted that the recent diplomatic momentum should now intensify and evolve into a substantive negotiating process. The immediate objective, he said, is the convening of an informal expanded conference that would serve as a springboard for the resumption of negotiations.
Asked whether there had been any discussion about securing the 2017 negotiating framework, Letymbiotis said the process has not yet reached that stage. Instead, discussions focused on how to create the necessary conditions for a return to the negotiating table.
"What the Secretary-General has set out, and what fully aligns with our own aspirations, is the resumption of negotiations from the point at which they were interrupted," he added.
Referring to Guterres' long involvement in the Cyprus issue, Letymbiotis said the UN chief has developed ideas on the next steps through his diplomatic contacts and initiatives launched since March. However, he stressed that Guterres has also made clear that political will must come not only from the two sides in Cyprus but also from the guarantor powers.
"The solution must remain within the framework of international legality," Letymbiotis said, referring in particular to Turkey's need to return to the agreed basis for a settlement as set out in UN Security Council resolutions.
He reiterated that the Republic of Cyprus remains committed to a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, and to a settlement fully compatible with the EU acquis, principles, values and the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union.
The Spokesman said the UN Secretary-General's current efforts are focused on creating the conditions for an expanded conference that would produce a substantive outcome, namely the announcement of the resumption of negotiations, rather than another procedural meeting.
Asked about the fact that Guterres' term ends in a few months, Letymbiotis expressed hope that meaningful progress, including the resumption of negotiations, could be achieved before then. He said upcoming meetings, including Guterres' working dinner with President Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, as well as their subsequent joint meeting, form part of this broader effort.
At the same time, he underlined that the key to progress remains "Turkey's genuine intention and political will to realign itself with international legality."
Commenting on whether there were reasons for optimism, Letymbiotis said Guterres' decision to visit Cyprus for the first time in his capacity as UN Secretary-General, together with his personal engagement and political commitment, were encouraging signs. Nevertheless, he stressed that the Government remains fully aware of the challenges posed by Turkey's stance in recent years and will continue to support the UN-led process through active diplomacy.