Nicosia has characterized Maria Angela Olgin’s move with the so-called “ambassador” of Turkey in the occupied territories, with government spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotis stating that “this is something that President Christodoulides has also conveyed to Ms. Olgin—our strong dissatisfaction.”
Specifically, in remarks made after the conclusion of the President of the Republic’s meeting with Ms. Olgin, Mr. Letympiotis—when asked to comment on the meeting with the so-called “ambassador” of Turkey, he said: “You understand that this is in conflict with UN Security Council Resolution 550, and UN officials, UN representatives, must act in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. Furthermore, the explanation given is that Turkey requested the meeting in order to send a message to Ms. Holguín, and that was the reason for the meeting. In any case, it was an action that we consider unacceptable and an unfortunate moment.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
When asked whether this message was a step in the right direction, Mr. Letympiotis replied: “Every message is a step in the right direction. Every message is evaluated, especially at a time when efforts are intensifying even further.” He added: “[The message] was such that Ms. Holguín’s contacts would continue, that both today’s and tomorrow’s meetings would be requested, and, of course, that we would move toward the joint meeting on November 9. In any case, genuine will and genuine intent are assessed through the achievement of agreements.”
READ ALSO: Holguín in the occupied territories: She met with Turkey’s so-called “ambassador” and they exchanged views on the Cyprus issue
Regarding the President’s meeting with Ms. Olgin, the Government Spokesperson made the following statement to reporters: “The President of the Republic met with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, a meeting she herself requested yesterday, and of course the President agreed, to brief him on what was discussed during yesterday’s meeting with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, as well as in preparation for the joint meeting scheduled for November 9.
In this context, the issues raised during President Christodoulides’ first meeting with Ms. Holguín were discussed, and we hope for a positive response from the other side, which could lead to progress on all three pillars set forth by the UN Secretary-General and on all three for which President Christodoulides has submitted proposals.”
When asked whether, based on what Ms. Holguín has reported, there appears to be agreement on any of the issues raised by the President of the Republic, Mr. Letympiotis replied: “We have said from the very beginning, and this remains our position, that we believe progress can be made on many of these points, and an agreement can be reached, provided there is the necessary political will on the other side as well. Ms. Holguín has a meeting tomorrow with Mr. Erhürman. I repeat, this is a joint meeting, and we believe that, yes, progress can be made on a number of issues that have been raised.”
In response to a journalist’s remark that Ms. Holguín had stated she would address the issue of the President’s proposal for a new crossing point at her meeting tomorrow and hoped to have positive news, Mr. Letympiotis said: “We are looking forward to Ms. Holguín’s meeting tomorrow and, even more so, to the joint meeting. We cannot speak on behalf of the other side, nor on behalf of Ms. Holguín. The only thing I will reiterate is that we will approach every meeting with the same constructive attitude. And this was also one of the reasons President Christodoulides had set forth during his first meeting, on [previous] Friday, with Ms. Holguín—his suggestion, his own approach, that we should have another joint meeting, and that it would be positive.”
When asked what questions the President of the Republic was asked to answer, the Spokesperson said: “Obviously, there are issues that the other side has raised regarding clarifications and the points we had submitted, so that we can achieve the progress we desire. And of course, that is why we believed—and continue to believe—that a joint meeting would be even more helpful. The joint meeting is scheduled for November 9, when there will be an opportunity for in-depth discussion on all three pillars, precisely so that we can respond as quickly as possible to the goals set by the UN Secretary-General—with which we agree.”
When asked whether there is a counterproposal regarding the points raised, the Government Spokesperson replied: “There were ideas from the other side, which are certainly being discussed.”
In response to a follow-up question regarding how the President of the Republic views these ideas, Mr. Letympiotis replied: “We will not negotiate in public. That is precisely why these meetings are taking place. What matters is that this effort is ongoing. What matters is that our side—the President of the Republic—has submitted very specific proposals, which are currently under negotiation and evaluation. It is positive that the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy herself will be in our country for several days. It is encouraging that these meetings are taking place on a regular basis. We hope that the next joint meeting will yield a positive outcome.”
