Cyprus President evaluates Berlin meeting as “a positive first step”

President Nicos Anastasiades said on Monday that despite difficulties a “positive first step was made”, following the dinner of the UN Secretary-General and the two Cyprus leaders, in Berlin.

Speaking to journalists after the informal meeting, the President referred to a creative effort for deliberations on Monday, on behalf of the negotiators and the UN special envoy Jane Holl Lute.

This, he said, led to a consensus, both with the Secretary-General as well as between the two leaders, with the President pointing to the elements that are included in the statement issued by the UN after the dinner.

Despite the well-known difficulties, the result of today’s meeting is considered a very positive first step in the effort to resume the dialogue, the President noted. He went on to say that he considers as important the fact that Guterres reiterated his decisiveness to continue, together with the leaders of the two Cyprus communities and the guarantor powers, the effort to convene an informal five-part conference, with the mandate to conclude the terms of reference that will allow the resumption of a targeted and creative dialogue that will lead to a viable and functioning solution.

He also noted that it was recorded that the positions of both leaders coincided with regard to the basic parameters that will guide the solution which is being sought after. As the statement says, these include the Joint Declaration of February 2014, the convergences that have been achieved so far and the six-point Guterres framework, the President added.

President Anastasiades said finally that it was self-evident that in order to resume substantial negotiations, apart from reaching an agreement on the terms of reference, Turkey needs to terminate its unlawful activities against the Republic of Cyprus, the threats to open Famagusta for settlement or any threats for fait accomplis in the buffer zone.

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.

(Cyprus News Agency)

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