Nicosia: The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, reiterated on Tuesday his readiness to attend an expanded meeting aimed at restarting talks on the Cyprus issue, on his way to the meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhrman. In statements made as he left the Presidential Palace, President Christodoulides noted that he is not distracted by the climate and the statements being made, adding that he has a clear goal and a clear objective.
According to Cyprus News Agency, President Christodoulides emphasized his intent for a frank dialogue to determine how talks can resume from where they left off in the summer of 2017. He expressed his readiness to attend an expanded meeting as soon as next week to achieve this end. When asked about expectations from the Turkish Cypriot leader regarding the solution he seeks, President Christodoulides replied, "We will see."
The President indicated his belief in the necessity of a solution based on United Nations Security Council resolutions, referencing a joint statement from a December meeting facilitated by the United Nations. He criticized the previous stance of Tatar, the former Turkish Cypriot leader, which advocated for a two-state solution outside the framework of the resolutions-a stance he deemed unacceptable to the international community and the Republic.
Regarding proposals, President Christodoulides mentioned five specific proposals submitted at the previous meeting and expressed hope for substantive discussion during the current meeting. He noted that progress on substantive issues positively impacts confidence-building measures agreed upon with the Turkish Cypriot leader, emphasizing that these measures should not replace a solution to the Cyprus problem but rather bring both parties closer to resolution within the agreed framework.
He acknowledged ongoing negotiations and progress on various issues, stating that some confidence-building measures have been implemented while others are in advanced consultation stages. Despite certain challenges due to differing opinions, he affirmed the political will on the Republic's part to advance and implement all announced measures.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Numerous UN-led peace talks have yet to produce a resolution, with the last major negotiation attempt in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ending without success.