Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said he believes there is scope for immediate and meaningful progress towards resolving the Cyprus issue, as attention turns to Wednesday's dinner between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
Speaking ahead of the annual general assembly of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association (PASYXE), Christodoulides said the current momentum in the Cyprus issue was the result of initiatives undertaken by the Greek Cypriot side.
He described as particularly significant the reference by the UN Secretary-General to the role of the European Union in efforts to move the process forward.
“Those were our own initiatives that led to the current momentum,” the president said, adding that efforts to secure a more active EU role in the Cyprus issue began before his election and are now producing results.
In continuous contact with Brussels
Christodoulides revealed that he has been in regular communication with senior EU officials ahead of the meeting with Erdoğan.
“I am in continuous contact, particularly with the President of the European Commission and António Costa,” he said.
He added that he had exchanged specific messages with von der Leyen on Monday and was scheduled to speak with her by telephone later on Tuesday.
Asked whether the dinner could help clarify the prospects for convening an informal expanded meeting on Cyprus, Christodoulides said it was too early to predict the outcome.
“Everything depends on the behaviour, positions and messages conveyed by the Turkish President, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council,” he said.
Disagrees with UN approach
The president also commented on a reference in the UN Secretary-General's report concerning three Greek Cypriots arrested in the Turkish-held north.
Christodoulides said he disagreed with what he described as the United Nations' effort to maintain balance between the two sides.
“There is an approach from the United Nations, which I do not share, whereby they try to maintain a balance between the two sides. If they write something negative about one side, they will look for something negative to write about the other,” he said.
Confidence-building measures not a substitute for talks
Asked about confidence-building measures, Christodoulides stressed that such initiatives cannot replace substantive negotiations on the Cyprus issue.
He said discussions on confidence-building measures are ongoing, but the main focus must remain on the substance of the problem and on efforts to resume formal negotiations.
The president noted that the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy had conveyed to both leaders during her most recent visit to Cyprus that, in line with the Secretary-General's instructions, priority should be given to the core issues of the Cyprus problem with the aim of restarting talks.
