‘Important developments’ on Cyprob
Source: Cyprus Mail
The three most significant outcomes of the informal Geneva conference were the appointment of a UN personal envoy, the scheduling of a new meeting in July, and a joint letter from the EU leaders to the UN Secretary-General, President Nikos Christodoulides said in an interview with Phileleftheros on Sunday.
Cyprus now faces “important developments” and the government will work to towards restarting negotiations, he specified.
Christodoulides outlined the key takeaways, beginning with the UN Secretary-General’s decision to appoint a personal envoy tasked with facilitating the next steps toward restarting talks within the agreed framework.
“Before Geneva, the Turkish side was opposed to such a prospect.”
The second major outcome was the agreement for another expanded-format meeting in late July to review progress and outline the next steps. “Before Geneva, Turkey was banking on failure and deadlock to push its narrative for changing the basis of a solution,” Christodoulides added.
A third, particularly significant outcome, he said, was the joint letter from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel to the UN Secretary-General, which was also sent to both himself and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
“This letter makes the EU’s position on the Cyprus issue crystal clear, leaving no room for alternative interpretations. It also directly ties the Cyprus problem to EU-Turkey relations and Ankara’s ambitions.”
Christodoulides also noted that securing continued engagement and maintaining momentum were positive elements of the meeting’s outcome.
Asked to assess the Geneva conference, he reiterated that the government’s goal remains the resumption of negotiations from where they left off in the summer of 2017. However, he acknowledged that this was not possible in Geneva due to Turkey’s stance. Given this reality, he said, “the informal meeting marked an important first step toward restarting talks,” pointing to statements made by the UN Secretary-General.
He also highlighted the agreement to discuss confidence building measures, saying they could contribute to further progress. However, he stressed that CBMs should never be seen as a substitute for a comprehensive solution.
Another key point, he said, was that Geneva avoided any references—direct or indirect—to positions outside the agreed framework. He also underlined the reaffirmation of commitment to the established UN framework, which was explicitly stated by the UN Secretary-General, the UK’s Minister for Europe, and the Greek Foreign Minister.
Looking ahead, Christodoulides said that if the Turkish side approaches the next phase with sincerity and genuine political will, it could lead to mutually beneficial progress for all Cypriots and for regional security and stability.
“The effort is far from over, but we are at the start of significant developments that we will work to capitalise on to achieve the resumption of talks,” he said.
Commenting on the new atmosphere between the two Cypriot leaders, as described by the UN, Christodoulides said this reflected the Geneva meeting’s results and the fact that a substantive discussion took place involving Turkey.
“We also expressed our readiness to discuss CBMs between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, taking into account Ankara’s EU ambitions but also the prerequisite that Turkey meets its Cyprus-related obligations.”
Regarding his upcoming meeting with Tatar on Wednesday, Christodoulides said the initiative came from the Greek Cypriot side and that implementing the Geneva agreements is a priority ahead of July’s scheduled follow-up meeting. “That’s why I immediately proposed dates for this meeting after returning from the European Council summit.”
Asked whether he was hesitant about the reappointment of UN envoy María Ángela Holguin, he clarified, “We are not opposed to the reappointment of Holguin or any other figure. What matters to us is that this person has the ability to engage continuously in Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, the UK, and Brussels to lay the groundwork so that by the next multilateral meeting in July, we can announce the resumption of negotiations from where they were interrupted.”
Regarding the EU’s role in the process, Christodoulides dismissed criticism over its representation in Geneva, noting that the EU had formally set out its position on Cyprus through the joint letter from Michel and von der Leyen. “The letter confirms the EU’s active role at all stages, in line with European Council conclusions,” he said, adding that he remains convinced Brussels’ presence in a multilateral conference would be pivotal.
The original article: belongs to Cyprus Mail .
