Nicosia: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides expressed optimism on Thursday regarding his upcoming meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman. He hopes the meeting scheduled for February 24 will set the stage for restarting negotiations on the ongoing Cyprus issue.
According to Cyprus News Agency, President Christodoulides made these remarks while addressing reporters at an event organized by the Cyprus Union of Olympic Participants in Nicosia. He confirmed that the meeting with Erhurman is on track to proceed as scheduled, emphasizing his commitment to the objective despite recent public discourse and political commentary.
The President underscored the clarity of his goal, highlighting the political will demonstrated by his administration. He expressed hope that the forthcoming meeting would foster the conditions necessary for resuming negotiations. He also assured that domestic political events, including the upcoming parliamentary elections and Cyprus' EU Council Presidency, would not impact his approach to the Cyprus issue.
In response to inquiries about progress on confidence-building measures following meetings between negotiators from both sides, President Christodoulides noted that each meeting involves evaluating progress. While advancements have been made in some areas, others remain stagnant. He stated his readiness to make necessary political decisions to facilitate positive developments.
Cyprus remains divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of the northern third of the island. Multiple UN-led peace talks have yet to produce a resolution, with the most recent negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ending without agreement.