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- Ελληνικά
The meetings with the personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) on the Cyprus problem are very substantial, President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides said tonight.
In his remarks to journalists, while attending an event organised by the champion Pavlos Kontides, in Limassol, the President of the Republic said: "We discussed substance. It was a very good meeting, it was just the two of us, following on from the first meeting and at this stage what counts is less talk and more work. I think that the personal envoy is on a very good path, I think that she can help us in the only objective we have: to resume the talks from where they were interrupted in Crans-Montana. And she will have my support in that effort."
Asked whether he asked for anything from Ms Holguin or she from the President of the Republic and to a reporter's remark that Ms Holguin said she was very encouraged by what she had heard in Cyprus, the President said: "She has reported to me what she has said publicly, she has reported to me. I told her in our first meeting that the Cypriot people, the overwhelming majority of the Cypriot people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, want the reunification of our country.
I am glad that she mentioned it publicly, she mentioned it to me in our private meeting. But that was not all. We also went into the substance, we exchanged views on how we can achieve as soon as possible the one and only goal, which is the resumption of talks."
Asked if Ms. Holguin is asking for something from the two leaders, President Christodoulides said that "in the context of the discussions, there is an exchange of views on many issues.
The only certainty is that we will not solve the Cyprus problem or achieve the objective at this stage, the resumption of talks, through public statements. That is why I said earlier, and she said it very aptly on the first day: Right now, more work and fewer statements.
When something needs to be said publicly, be sure that we will do so. But I fully agree with what she predicted at the end of the first meeting we had."
Asked if he would meet again with Ms Holguin before she leaves Cyprus next Sunday, the President said: "I am at her disposal, I have mentioned it to her. She will have some trips now, to Greece, to Turkey, to Britain, to Brussels, to the United States and when she is back in Cyprus we will certainly meet again."
Asked if Mrs. Holguin will carry some messages from him, President Christodoulides said: "She will certainly carry some messages. We are having a discussion, our meetings are not etiquette meetings, they are substantive. We are touching on matters of procedure, matters of substance, matters on which there has been disagreement and how those disagreements can be addressed. They are substantive, very substantive meetings."
In response to a journalist's remark that Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar insists on his positions, the President said: "The answer to Mr Tatar, as I said the other night, is the UN Security Council resolution."
Moreover, referring to the event he is attending, the President of the Republic said: "I am here because I want to honour Pavlos Kontidis, who not only makes us proud abroad - I come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - but is for us the best ambassador abroad.
But I am not here for his sporting achievements. I am here because, building on all that he has achieved with effort, with hard work, nothing has been given to him, he has come in recent years to help younger athletes, to support them financially and morally, and I consider it a minimum obligation for me as President of the Republic of Cyprus to be here as a minimum sign of gratitude and recognition of the work he does."
(PM/EP/NZ)
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