I believe that an informal multilateral conference is very important with the aim of restarting negotiations, said the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, on Sunday, adding that the aim is not just co- having an informal multi-faceted conversation that leads to a negative outcome.
“Our effort is aimed at making proper preparations to produce results”, said the President in his statements after the national memorial service of the heroes of the 1955-1959 freedom struggle, Giannis Styllis and Nikos Karantonis at Saint Agios Neophytos Church in Kate Polemidia.
He reiterated that “we know our goals, we know what our red lines are” and that there is no question of talking about any solution that escapes the framework. He also said that he is ready and that he intends to have a meeting with the Turkish leader Ersin Tatar as soon as possible in Nicosia.
Referring to the recent informal meeting with the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, in New York, at the invitation of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, President Christodoulidis marked it as an important first step, the to note that Mr. Tatar in the past even refused. have a social meeting. He expressed the willingness of the Government to make efforts to find a solution within the established framework, with the support of the international and European factors.
The President said that there were two results from the meeting and he wanted there to be more, which he said the Government was looking for, but the Turkish leader had a negative opinion.
He said that the Government is currently focusing on two issues and this was the content of both his letter to the UN Secretary General, but also the efforts at diplomatic level made by the Permanent Representation of Cyprus in New York and the negotiator in Nicosia.
First, as he said, the effort is aimed at making proper preparations for the multilateral conference so that there are results.
“Our aim is not just to have an informal multilateral conference and produce a negative outcome. This is not our goal, and we are not dealing with the Cyprus issue through such developments that will never bring anything positive,” he said.
The second one, he said, is opposite the meeting in Nicosia. He confirmed his readiness and the positions that were already known on the specific crossing points and said that he expected this meeting to be held as soon as possible.
“I am ready from my side, I have also been nominated at the United Nations and I expect to see the results that will come,” he said.
The President emphasized the importance of starting this effort, as well as the size of the United Nations and the clear political will of the Government which was shown, as he said, not with words, but with concrete actions.
He recalled that despite our team’s desire for a Special Envoy to the Cyprus issue, they finally accepted the UN Secretary General’s first proposal for a Personal Envoy, which was rejected by the Turkish side.
“We worked with Mrs. Holgin, we were ready for her to continue with the services, unfortunately there is a refusal from the Turkish side. We moved forward with the 14 unilateral steps, we made movements in Euro-Turkish. All this showed the international community the clear policy of our side”, he emphasized.
He also noted the international interest, which is not only from the Secretary General of the UN, but also at the level of the European Union and permanent members of the Security Council, as he said.
He stood up for the EU, saying that it can play a decisive role with the tools at its disposal, for a mutually beneficial situation.
“We have a specific plan in mind, a specific design, which we implement from day one. Little by little it will bring results, I do not underestimate or underestimate the problems, the problems, the challenges, but I can say with certainty that we know where we want to go, we know we have our goals, we know what our red lines are. “, said the President.
He said that there is no question in considering any kind of solution that escapes the framework and that they will do everything possible to get positive results. He said that “it is our country that is under occupation and it is our country that is suffering and for our part we will do everything we can”.
When asked when the multilateral meeting is expected, he replied that no specific date has been set, but that this preparatory work has started to achieve a result and that the main demand is to get a good result through this multilateral meeting.
Source: KYPE
