The Presidents of Cyprus and Georgia, Nicos Anastasiades and Salome Zourabichvili, will discuss, among others, on Tuesday, about developments in the Cyprus issue, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Georgia, Government Spokesman, Marios Pelekanos, said on Monday.
According to Pelekanos, Anastasiades will brief his Georgian counterpart about the provocations of the Turkish side in the fenced off city of Famagusta (Varosha) and the Cypriot EEZ, as well as its unacceptable demands as regards the framework of a Cyprus settlement.
A press release issued by the Presidency said that in statements to the media, Pelekanos noted that the President of Georgia will pay a state visit to Cyprus on Tuesday, at the invitation of Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades.
He said that President Zourabichvili will have on Tuesday morning a tete-a-tete meeting with the President of the Republic, to be followed by expanded talks between delegations of the two countries, during which bilateral relations and ways to enhance them as well as issues of mutual concern – such as the EU-Georgia relations, the situation in the Middle East, the ongoing efforts to address the pandemic’s repercussions and regional developments – will be discussed.
Pelekanos also said that “the President of the Republic will have the opportunity to brief the President of Georgia on the unacceptable provocations of the Turkish and the Turkish Cypriot side in the fenced off city of Famagusta and the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus, while of course he will inform her about the unacceptable demands they put forward as regards the framework of a Cyprus settlement.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Numerous rounds of talks under the UN aegis to reunite the island under a federal roof failed to yield results.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. Resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha.
On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.
Source: Cyprus News Agency