The EU and the international community are working to ensure that Turkey will accept the resumption of the talks for the Cyprus issue, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides said Friday.
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of an event on the occasion of Europe Day in Nicosia and invited to say what we should expect the EU to do towards the resumption of the dialogue aiming to resolve the Cyprus problem, he said that the EU has the tools that can lead us to a mutually beneficial state of affairs, taking into account Turkey’s strong interest in coming closer to the EU.
He recalled the interest of the EU and the fact that the Presidents of the Council and the European Commission immediately before the recent informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that took place in Geneva sent a letter which he described as a landmark document that records the positions of the EU and the 27 member states.
“Beyond that, there are other actions, which are not simply of symbolic importance”, he said.
He went on to say that last year, at the 20th anniversary of Cyprus’ accession to the EU, the EC President was in Cyprus and this year the Head of the EP will be visiting and together they will have an open discussion with the youth on Saturday.
He added that in this effort that is currently underway, the EU is working towards Turkey, so that it accepts the resumption of negotiations from where they left off in Crans Montana in 2017, on the basis of the agreed framework.
He said that there are difficulties and problems which he does not underestimate but he expressed the confidence that the EU efforts, as well as the ones by the international community, will lead to results. “Let us be a bit patient”, he advised.
Replying to another question about the recent meeting he had with the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and the latter’s negative stance on which he commented, he said that genuinely and sincerely he referred to the outcome of this meeting. He said that he is planning to meet again with him before UNSG personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin arrives on the island. But he went on to say that he does not wish to engage in a blame game.
( Source: CNA )
