Within the next 24 hours, it is expected to become clear whether there will be any progress on the Cyprus issue in New York, as Turkish Cypriot Leader Tufan Erhurman is expected to respond later today to the proposal for a trilateral meeting with President of the Republic Nicos ChristoudidesDoulidis and UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York is expected to arrive later today.
Speaking on the Alpha Kalimera program, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotis described the meeting as constructive and positive, commenting on the President of the Republic’s meeting with the UN Secretary-General, during which Mr. Christodoulides presented to Guterres the ideas he had shared with Erhurman during their last meeting.
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“He expressed his readiness—provided there is a response from the other side—to extend his stay in New York so that a joint meeting with Mr. Erhurman can take place. We are awaiting this position, or at least a response from the other side. A response, at least from the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, regarding their meeting the day before yesterday with the President of the Republic, regarding the content of the proposals that have been put forward and how they can work or provide momentum moving forward, was positive.”
Mr. Letympiotis noted that we must not leave Turkey and Mr. Erhurman out of the picture.
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As for Turkey’s stance on Mr. Christodoulides’ speech, Mr. Letympiotis stated that “I don’t believe any different reaction or position emerged from public statements. It is certainly regrettable and ironic that such references are made and that international law—and especially the charter of the OEC—is invoked, when in Cyprus the disregard for these values is blatant.”
At the same time, he emphasized that Mr. Erhurman’s stance during his meeting with António Guterres is important, as is his response to the possibility of a trilateral meeting.
“I think no one can fail to recognize, at the very least, the value of a joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General whenever it is feasible and possible to hold it, especially at this juncture, when—at least in words—we all acknowledge the efforts of the UN Secretary-General.”
When asked when there would be an update on the possibility of a trilateral meeting, Mr. Letympiotis stated that “taking scheduling considerations into account, I estimate that possibly by Friday—that is, the day that begins tomorrow for us—we will receive a response from the other side.”
READ ALSO: The Cyprus Issue in New York: The next 24 hours will show whether the long-awaited trilateral meeting will take place
At the same time, Mr. Letympiotis noted that the President of the Republic had been in contact with both the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, informing them of the meeting with António Guterres.
“And the UN Secretary-General, as he informed the President of the Republic today, had been in contact with the European Union institutions in recent days.”
As for the document outlining areas of convergence, according to information available to Nicosia, it has not yet been finalized, though it is at an advanced stage.
READ ALSO: Trilateral talks on the UN Secretary-General’s proposals; “Let’s give diplomacy a chance,” says the President: Meeting with Guterres Concluded
At the same time, when asked to comment on whether Nicosia is attributing responsibility to the Turkish Cypriot side for the failure to make significant progress along the path outlined by Mr. Guterres, Mr. Letympiotis noted that this is not the time to assign blame.
“In any case, however, I believe that actions—not words—and, importantly, the actions of our side, are beyond any doubt. The many proposals that have been submitted, the many efforts that have been made, and the sincerity of our intentions—I believe these are recognized by everyone; and therefore our side—which has accepted all the proposals submitted so far by the UN—cannot be to blame. Unfortunately, it is the other side that has not even accepted the proposals described by the UN Secretary-General as “compromise proposals.”
He added that one cannot criticize all sides without “identifying which side, unfortunately, has failed to act so far.”
“Of course, we know very well that there is no time to waste on the Cyprus issue,” Mr. Letympiotis also emphasized.
