Nicosia: There is a roadmap but no magic solution for Cyprus issue in coming months, a top Greek diplomatic source tells CNA. The assessment that the Cyprus issue has been significantly upgraded and is moving towards a constructive direction was expressed by a senior Greek diplomatic source speaking to the Cyprus News Agency.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the top priority of the UN Secretary-General is due to the efforts of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the main differences in the two sides’ positions have not been overcome, nor is the two-state solution proposed by the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey being discussed.
The source emphasized the importance of having a roadmap where trust can be built, though they warned that there cannot be a magic solution to resolve the Cyprus issue within a short timeframe. The significant development is that Turkish Cypriots and Turkey will participate in discussions.
The Greek diplomatic source also mentioned that the improvement in Greek-Turkish relations has greatly contributed to reviving the Cyprus settlement process. However, they noted that an immediate and easy solution is not expected for the Greek-Turkish issue either, as the basic positions of both sides remain unchanged. They stressed that these matters take time and are not resolved by simply flipping a switch.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Despite repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has not been achieved. The last round of negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ended without conclusions.