The “battle” over the roadblocks will determine the outcome of Guterres’s initiative, with consultations set to be more than intense in the coming days. This is precisely where the United Nations will focus its efforts in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the situation, starting with tomorrow’s 9 a.m. meeting between UN Special Representative Kassim Dian and President Christodoulides.
For this effort to succeed, attention will focus on a specific sticking point—one that has been the subject of considerable work and even more discussion— namely the Athienou checkpoint, as exemplified by the statement made by the Greek Cypriot negotiator just 24 hours ago, that the problems regarding the route had been resolved and that we are now stuck on the other side’s demand to open not only Mia Milia but also Louroutzina.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
MENELAOS MENELAOU—Negotiator for the Greek Cypriot side—“We
said that for this to happen, our proposal regarding the Kokkina area must also be included. An agreement must be balanced,”
said the negotiator for the Greek Cypriot side in an interview with “Kathimerini,” with reports indicating that President Christodoulides’ latest proposal on roadblocks also moved in this direction, namely Kokkina versus Louroutzina, while emphasizing at the same time that António Guterres never left seven points, to which Tufan Erhurman constantly refers.
According to diplomatic circles, Maria Olgin will convey the message to the two leaders that if they manage to open these specific crossings, Antonio Guterres will also be persuaded to proceed with an informal five-party conference in … the nineties of his term. The Colombian official’s extended stay in Nicosia will focus on this very issue, sweeping under the rug the tension caused by the debate over the rotating presidency.
MENELAOS MENELAOU—Greek Cypriot negotiator: “Yes
, the rotating presidency is included in the convergences, but within the context of reaffirming all convergences across all negotiation chapters. Unilateral conditions cannot be set for negotiations to begin.”
Ahead of Olgin’s visit on Thursday, the next meeting of the leaders this coming Tuesday is expected to proceed, like the previous ones, at a low level, leaving the difficult issues to the Colombian official.
See Giorgos Georgiadis’s report:
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