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We hope that it will be possible for the UN Secretary General's personal envoy for the Cyprus problem to have contacts at a higher level in Turkey, even at the level of the President of the country, President Nicos Christodoulides said today.
In his statements to reporters after the event at the premises of the Association "Anagnostirio Hellenism Akaki" for its 100th anniversary, the President of the Republic, asked to comment on statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Ersin Tatar that there was no positive indication from the first round of consultations of the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy for Cyprus Ms. Holguin, said: "I did not expect to hear anything different from Mr Tatar. It is what he has been saying all along.
We are waiting for the second descent of the personal envoy, there will be a first meeting on March 11. We have been informed that on 7 March she will be in London for contacts, and I am sure that after Cyprus, possibly before, there will be another visit to Turkey and Brussels.
Regardless of what is said, we will all be judged by the final outcome. From our side we know what we want, we have clear objectives, clear expectations from this mission and we will do everything possible for it to have positive results."
Asked if there is any thought of something that could arouse the interest of the Turkish side and be promoted by the Greek Cypriot side, the President of the Republic said: "There are many thoughts, many ideas that are being worked on by the Republic of Cyprus, taking into account in particular the dimension of Euro-Turkish relations.
There cannot be any thought and, by extension, any idea that refers to the satisfaction of a demand, and I am referring to sovereign equality, which is not even an issue to be discussed. So, yes, we are working on ideas, motives, data that can create a positive perspective, especially taking into account the context of Euro-Turkish relations."
Asked if there are signs of more active involvement of the guarantor powers and especially Britain in efforts to return to the talks, President Christodoulides said: "The one that needs to be more involved is Turkey. It is for this reason that the visit to Ankara took place. We hope that it will be possible to have contacts at a higher level, even at the level of Mr. Erdoğan.
Beyond that, the role of the international community is important in a problem like the Cyprus problem, especially at this stage when we are trying to resume the talks from where they were interrupted in Crans Montana."
Asked whether in relation to energy, after the meeting of the Presidents of Turkey and Egypt, any message reached the Republic of Cyprus, President Christodoulides replied in the negative, recalling that "before the visit of Mr. Erdoğan's visit to Egypt, there was a visit of the Foreign Minister of Egypt to Cyprus, and one of the main issues discussed was the visit of Mr. Erdoğan. Right now, certainly, the resolution of the Cyprus problem, the creation of data towards the resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework will also strengthen this perspective. But right now as we speak there is nothing."
In response to a journalist's remark that we have seen new legal entities linked to Cyprus in the new US and UK sanctions package against Russia, asked what stage the issue of the Sanctions Monitoring Mechanism is at, the President said "We are at the final stage, there will be a Cabinet briefing very soon."
And in the very next few days the Single Supervisory Mechanism will be forwarded for approval by the Cabinet. What I had announced publicly has been processed, we have seen it with the Minister of Finance, it has undergone the legislative and technical review up to the final stage and it will be passed by the Council of Ministers.
On this particular issue (concerning) sanctions, violation of sanctions, reputation and credibility of our country, there is nothing under negotiation. I have said it many times, I mean it, nobody is above the reputation of our country."
Finally, asked if Nicosia is under pressure on the terminal issue with the involvement of the Chinese side, the President said: "Let me not comment on this issue, there is a reason. I do not wish and cannot comment on this particular issue, but we are waiting for some developments."
(PM/NZ/EP)
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