The Greek Cypriot side will be ready to take a specific stand on any issue raised, President Nikos Christodoulides, said on Wednesday, ahead of next week’s meeting in New York, noting that the Greek Cypriot side was not open to being sounded out about its red lines.
He expressed the hope that the meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar and the UNSG in New York on October 15, would lead to positive results, noting that this was the only goal of the Greek Cypriot side, which, as he said, has its own proposals that will be its initiatives.
Answering journalists’ questions upon his arrival at the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit in Nicosia, and asked if feelers had been sent out on whether the Greek Cypriot side would ‘stretch a little’ its red lines to unblock the process and come closer to the requests for the so-called ‘3Ds’ (direct flights, trade, contacts) on which Tatar insists, President Christodoulides replied: ‘No, we have not been sounded out and we are not open to be sounded out’.
‘We are
preparing for the meeting’, he said, noting that the negotiator, after consultation with him, will invite the Political Group on the Cyprus problem for a meeting on Friday for an exchange of views, following what was said in the National Council.
He recalled that, before the meeting with the Secretary-General, he would meet with the British Prime Minister, in London, before his departure for New York. ‘You realise the importance of the meeting, not only for our bilateral relations, but also for the Cyprus issue, before the meeting with the Secretary General’, he said.
President Christodoulides expressed hope that this meeting would lead to positive results. ‘I can say on our behalf that this is the only goal. It’s not a slogan, I’m speaking very specifically, and, considering the very positive atmosphere of the conversation I had with the Secretary General when I was in New York, let’s hope there will be a response’, he added.
Asked if the UN Secretary-General would also raise the issue of confidence-build
ing measures and if the Greek Cypriot side was ready for further openings after the measures it has already taken unilaterally, President Christodoulides said that it would not be right to take a stand on a specific issue. ‘But what I can tell you in response to your question, for whatever issue is raised, the Greek Cypriot side will be ready to take a specific position’, he added.
Asked if the Greek Cypriot side would welcome the reactivation of the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General President Christodoulides noted that the question was ‘specific’ adding, ‘with absolute respect to the Secretary-General, because I truly want a positive result from this meeting, allow me not to take a specific stand on that.’
‘We have a standpoint, we have a specific position on what you said and on the previous one, as well as on many other issues that may be raised either by the Secretary-General or by Mr. Tatar, but also our own proposals that will be initiatives of our own side’, he said.
Cyprus has been divided
since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. Last January, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency