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- Ελληνικά
At the meeting of the President of the Republic with the personal envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (UNSG) on the Cyprus problem, there was an exchange of views on the next steps in order to achieve the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework, Government Spokesman Mr.
In his statements to journalists at the Presidential Palace, after the meeting of President Nicos Christodoulides with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Cyprus, Ms. María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar and asked if ideas and thoughts were discussed at the meeting, the Spokesman said: "Ms. Holguín briefed us on her contacts in Athens, Ankara and the United Kingdom over the past period.
There was an exchange of views on ways, on the next steps, in order to achieve the resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework.
Ms. Holguín in the coming days will have a series of contacts in our country, she will be [HERE] until Sunday, as she has informed us.
The President of the Republic has once again conveyed to her our will that her stay for even more days will be beneficial, so that even more meetings can be held in order to achieve the desired resumption of negotiations.
We have conveyed our readiness to resume negotiations as soon as possible, we are ready to start negotiations even tomorrow, within the agreed framework, from the point where they have been interrupted. What is important is that we are all bound by the UN Security Council resolutions."
Asked if the methodology that Ms. Holguín will follow in order to enter the discussion on a more substantive basis has been discussed, the Spokesperson said: "That discussion has taken place, I repeat that she will have more meetings this week. The meetings that she is holding are meetings that she thinks will be useful. We know very well, we know from the outset the difficulties and challenges we would have in this effort, the public positions are well known. But at the same time, we are faithful and we insist on the resumption of negotiations in the agreed framework."
Asked if Ms. Holguín conveyed any thoughts, Mr. Letybiotis said: "There has been this exchange of views as to some thoughts that she has and we have."
Asked if she conveyed any encouragement from the guarantor powers, the Spokesman said: "There were no exhortations. What he has conveyed to us is Athens' publicly, after all, avowed support for our efforts to resume negotiations within the agreed framework. Apart from the public statements from London, nothing has been conveyed by Ms Holguín."
Asked if there has been anything specific from President Christodoulides, the Spokesman replied."
Asked if any openings were requested from Nicosia in order to approach some positions of the other side that would allow to avoid a deadlock, the Spokesman said: "What matters is the commitment of all of us to the agreed framework. What we have reiterated from the outset is our readiness, our public readiness to resume negotiations even today, from the point where negotiations have broken down."
Asked if there was any discussion of Mr. Tatar's insistence on the six-month timeline, the Spokesman said: "There has not been any discussion of a timetable. No mention has been made at any point about a timetable."
Asked if there had been a change in circumstances since Ms. Holguín's first visit to Cyprus, the Spokesman said: "You understand that Ms. Holguín's first visit was, if I may use the term, 'reconnaissance'. It was the first in a series of contacts with both President Christodoulides and Mr Tatar, but also with some organised groups in Cyprus. He will have more contacts during this period, but they have been preceded by contacts in Athens, London and Ankara.
In the next period, as she has informed us, she will go to Brussels and European capitals to continue these contacts."
In response to a reporter's remark that Ms. Holguín brought with her her associate, who will remain in Cyprus, asked what exactly will be the role of this associate, the Spokesman said: "Today we had not gone into that parameter. The information we had from the first meeting with Ms Holguín is that her intention is that this close associate will be in Cyprus as a point of reference and point of contact with Ms Holguín."
To a reporter's remark that the President of the Republic had stated that there would be a presentation of some proposals during his meeting with Ms Holguín and asked if this had been done, the Spokesman said: "There has been an exchange of views as to how to achieve a resumption of negotiations, including on the part of the President of the Republic. It is, after all, a given that the President of the Republic has taken the initiative through the announcement of the measures concerning our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, but also the huge chapter of the Euro-Turkish issue, which may be dealt with by the next European Council."
Asked if there are any other measures being urged, the Spokesman said: "There has been an exchange of views, no exhortations have been made and no exhortations can be made in an attempt to reopen negotiations."
(PM/PM/MS)
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