Cyprus is fully aligned and in step with the pace set by the UN secretary-general, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Thursday, expressing the Greek Cypriot side's wish for an expanded conference on the Cyprus problem to be held as soon as possible.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Kombos said Nicosia would discuss proposals on EU-Turkey relations on Friday during the visit to Cyprus of the EU's special representative for the Cyprus problem, Raffaele Fitto. "The key to a positive outcome is and remains in Ankara," he said.
Preparations for an expanded conference
Asked about preparations ahead of the conference, Kombos said the secretary-general had announced the convening of the next expanded meeting after securing positive responses from all sides, including the guarantor powers and Turkey itself, and that Cyprus was fully in step with that approach. He said the secretary-general had explicitly stated his interest in substance, and that this was the goal Cyprus needed to work towards, with preparation focused on ensuring that, once the expanded conference takes place, there would be scope to announce progress on issues that touch on the substance of negotiations.
On confidence-building measures, Kombos said it would have been particularly positive had there been an announcement on opening new crossing points, adding that while this outcome was not reached, the Greek Cypriot side had been fully constructive towards the compromise proposal put forward by the secretary-general himself.
EU-Turkey relations as leverage
Kombos referred to Nicosia's strategy of engaging both the United Nations and, in parallel, a more direct and active involvement of the European Union. Ahead of Friday's meeting with Fitto, he said Cyprus wants EU-Turkey relations to be used as leverage to reawaken Turkey's interest in a way that serves the substance of Cyprus problem negotiations, adding that Cyprus has proposals it will raise with Fitto to that end.
Asked whether an expanded conference could realistically take place before the end of Guterres' term, Kombos said Cyprus would certainly want that, given the secretary-general's personal interest throughout his term and his familiarity with the substance of the Cyprus problem, adding that Cyprus's willingness to move ahead as soon as possible, under his stewardship, should be taken as a given.
Asked whether the secretary-general would press the other side to hold the conference before his term ends, Kombos said the secretary-general had a clear strategy and had made announcements the day before, to which the Greek Cypriot side had responded positively, both in agreeing to the next substantive meeting and in wanting it to produce a result. He said Turkey had given its consent to the secretary-general, and it was now up to Ankara to reaffirm that positively, or otherwise explain its position to the secretary-general. This, he said, was why Cyprus continued to insist on the EU-Turkey dimension, which it sees as a potential source of critical mass to influence how the Turkish side interprets the process, adding that there was no longer any doubt that the key to a positive outcome lay in Ankara.
No new strategy tied to this month's visits
Asked whether Nicosia had drawn up a specific strategy for this period around the visits of the secretary-general and Fitto, Kombos said no such strategy had been formulated specifically for this window, noting instead that Nicosia's strategy dates back to March 2023, with adjustments made according to developments. He said the aim now was to build momentum around substantive proposals concerning the EU and EU-Turkey relations, adding that Cyprus has such proposals ready to raise and discuss, though he could not say with certainty how long it would take for them to bear fruit. He said Cyprus's own will and readiness to move as quickly as possible could be relied upon, provided the necessary time is given for consultations, given Cyprus's consistently positive stance.
On methodology and Turkey's regional role
Asked about references to a "methodology" preceding the expanded conference, and whether this aligned with proposals reportedly put forward by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, Kombos said Cyprus was guided by what the secretary-general had stated publicly regarding a framework, convergences and the need to cover the "last mile" of the negotiating process on substance, adding that discussions, consultations and negotiations would still be needed to build the necessary critical mass, rather than resolving everything within the expanded conference itself.
Asked whether Turkey's broader regional role, including contacts under way in Washington, should be factored in, Kombos said Turkey's regional role had been elevated for a long time, and that Cyprus was making its own effort to demonstrate its usefulness and role in the region, given its network of relations with neighbouring countries. He said Turkey has various EU-Turkey-related interests, which Cyprus views as matters that can be discussed under certain conditions, without affecting the core of the Cyprus problem or altering Cyprus's negotiating position, adding that Cyprus, as an EU member state, is ready to enter into a substantive arrangement wherever it could generate positive results.
Asked about talk of new ideas, including a "loose federation," and whether the secretary-general's statements shield the Greek Cypriot position, Kombos said Cyprus's consistent position is that it can only enter substantive negotiations for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem within the parameters set by the UN Security Council, and that its stance on anything falling outside those parameters, in principle or in substance, remains clear and unchanged.
Source: CNA
