Christodoulides: Guterres fully committed to the effort for progress on Cyprus

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, sent a wide governmental awesome regarding the adjacent steps successful the Cyprus issue, confirming that an inaugural by UN Secretary-General António Guterres is underway, aimed astatine achieving a factual result by the extremity of the year.

Christodoulides, responding to a journalist’s question astir reports of a imaginable solution program earlier year’s end, noted that the UN Secretary-General is “absolutely committed” to making advancement connected the Cyprus issue.

He said António Guterres had already conveyed to him past March, during their gathering successful Brussels, that an inaugural was underway aimed astatine a affirmative outcome. The Cypriot President adjacent linked the timing to the extremity of the Secretary-General’s word astir December, suggesting that Nicosia considers the existent play peculiarly critical.

“We are not conscionable talking for the involvement of talking”

Nikos Christodoulides sought to separate the existent momentum from erstwhile low-intensity efforts astir the Cyprus contented that did not pb to substantive negotiations.

“It’s not conscionable ‘we talk, we talk, we talk’,” helium said, stressing that the process indispensable yet pb to results.

This remark is significant, arsenic Nicosia aims to awesome that it is not pursuing dialog for appearances, but a meaningful process that tin beryllium judged by its outcome.

No arbitration

President Christodoulides placed peculiar accent connected rejecting immoderate script involving arbitration. When asked whether specified a process was being considered, helium categorically denied making immoderate specified reference.

He referred to the presumption of notation of the UN Secretary-General, arsenic derived from the Security Council, noting that they specify a circumstantial model for a settlement, arsenic outlined successful applicable UN resolutions connected the Cyprus issue.

In this way, Nicosia seeks to forestall interpretations that the process could determination extracurricular the agreed framework. The Greek Cypriot presumption remains that the ground for a solution is simply a bizonal, bicommunal federation with governmental equality, arsenic defined by UN resolutions, and not a two-state oregon confederation model, arsenic promoted by the Turkish side.

Role of the European Union

The President of the Republic of Cyprus besides referred to the relation of the European Union, stressing that the EU indispensable play a important relation successful the process.

As a subordinate state, Cyprus insists that immoderate solution indispensable beryllium compatible with the EU acquis. Nicosia maintains that the EU cannot stay a bystander, particularly erstwhile the contented concerns the reunification of a subordinate authorities and the exertion of European instrumentality crossed its full territory.

“There is nary program B”

Christodoulides besides emphasized that the Greek Cypriot broadside is acceptable for the adjacent phase, noting that “we volition each beryllium judged by the last outcome” and reaffirming Nicosia’s afloat readiness.

He stressed that determination is “no program B” for the Republic of Cyprus. As helium said, determination is nary alternate to ending the concern and reunifying the island.

This connection is addressed simultaneously to aggregate audiences: the Greek Cypriot community, wherever skepticism toward caller initiatives remains; the United Nations, to which Nicosia signals its readiness to engage; and the Turkish side, which successful caller years has promoted a “sovereign equality” stance and a two-state solution.

Guterres’ initiative

The notation to the extremity of Guterres’ word provides the broader governmental discourse for the existent momentum. The UN Secretary-General is profoundly acquainted with the Cyprus issue, having played a cardinal relation successful the past large effort successful Crans-Montana successful 2017. Nicosia believes this acquisition could beryllium an asset, provided determination is genuine willingness from each parties.

The cardinal question remains whether the Turkish broadside volition run wrong the UN model oregon proceed to importune connected designation of “two states” arsenic a precondition for meaningful talks. This volition find whether the existent model of accidental is existent oregon yet different diplomatic opening that closes earlier it tin beryllium utilized.

Nicosia signals readiness

With his remarks, President Christodoulides made wide that the Republic of Cyprus supports the Secretary-General’s initiative. At the aforesaid time, helium besides acceptable wide boundaries: nary arbitration, nary departure from Security Council resolutions, and nary solution extracurricular the European framework.

The coming play volition amusement whether the Guterres inaugural tin pb to existent governmental advancement oregon stay astatine the level of exploratory contacts. For now, Nicosia is choosing to enactment the process, insisting that its sole nonsubjective is the extremity of the concern and the reunification of Cyprus.