President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday said he is “on the same line” with the UNSG Antonio Guterres regarding the appointment of a UN envoy to assist in the efforts to restart negotiations for the Cyprus problem.
Speaking after their meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Christodoulides said he was also pleased with the UNSG’s stance on the need for common meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader.
However, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has turned down an initial proposal by the UN for a tri-lateral meeting, the Greek Cypriot president said, stressing his readiness to attend such a meeting.
Christodoulides said that even on Saturday, he is willing to hold such a meeting which he said, “will also lead to the announcement of the appointment of a person who will explore the prospects for the resumption of talks”.
I am pleased by what the [UN] secretary-general has informed me in terms of his own intentions…because we are exactly on the same line on both the issue of the appointment of a personality and the need for a trilateral meeting to take place,” the Cypriot president said.
Christodoulides added that the Secretary General communicated to him that EU member states raised the Cyprus issue and the need for the resumption of talks during their separate meetings with him.
So here we are up to this moment and we are waiting to see, he added.
Asked if Guterres has the intention to convene a trilateral meeting and will extend an invitation to Tatar tomorrow, Christodoulides said he has already extended such an invitation.
The answer was negative and tomorrow there will be the meeting, it will be preceded by a meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister, since unfortunately the meeting with the Turkish President did not take place, he said.
The president was accompanied to the UN building by Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, Government Spokesman, Constantinos Letibiotis, the negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side, Menelaos Menelaou, the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN, Andreas Hadjichrysanthou and other officials.
After his meeting with Christodoulides, Guterres is set to meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos MItsotakis, while the UNSG is scheduled to meet Tatar on Saturday at 7.30pm Cyprus time.
Diplomatic sources had previously suggested that there is a possibility that a trilateral meeting will not take place during the UN General Assembly, but according to diplomatic sources, the UNSG will invite the two leaders to a joint meeting in the near future.
On Thursday, Christodoulides met officials of two countries which are permanent members, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Vice President of China Han Zheng, who both expressed their support for the appointment of a UNSG envoy on the Cyprus question.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York that day, Christodoulides called on Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to work together to find a solution based on the agreed international framework.
But in his speech a day earlier, Erdogan said that a federation-based solution is no longer viable for Cyprus.
Commenting on Erdogan’s insistence on a two-state solution for the Cyprus problem, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said Turkey’s president is trying to avoid and violate the agreed solution framework. However the president of the Republic maintains a sober attitude, reiterating his readiness for the resumption of negotiations, he told Cybc.
Meanwhile, officials of two countries, permanent members of the security council, the US Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland and the Vice President of China, Han Zheng, both expressed their support to the appointment of a UNSG envoy on the Cyprus question in their respective meetings with Christodoulides on Thursday.
On Thursday evening, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng reconfirmed China’s support for a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution to the Cyprus problem based on the relevant UN resolutions during a meeting with Christodoulides.
For his part, Christodoulides expressed Cyprus’ gratitude towards China for its principled position on the Cyprus problem and its support in the UN Security Council.
They both stated that there is further room for bilateral relations to grow, with Christodoulides pointing to sectors such as trade, tourism, and investment.
Earlier this month, the Cypriot president had penned a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres asking for the appointment of a new UN envoy to Cyprus. In the letter, he said the best time to announce the appointment of an envoy will be after a tripartite meeting of the Secretary General with the two leaders.
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