We will see in practice whether the results of the meetings in Ankara regarding the Cyprus issue will be positive, said the President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, tonight.

Speaking to reporters as he arrived at the Invest Cyprus event in Nicosia, and when asked to comment on his communication with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council regarding their dinner yesterday with the Turkish President, and whether the messages were positive, President Christodoulides said that “if the results of the meetings are positive, we will see that in practice very soon. And I want to thank them publicly, because both of them, on their own initiative, contacted me first thing this morning to brief me on what was discussed during the dinner.

First and foremost, it is important to note that they conveyed exactly what we had agreed upon—namely, the European Union’s common positions, the positions of the Republic of Cyprus regarding how we can achieve positive developments in EU-Turkey relations—and for there to be positive developments in EU-Turkey relations, Turkey must fulfill its obligations, and one of these—a fundamental prerequisite—is to see substantive progress on the Cyprus issue.

The President of the Council also provided an update on the telephone conversations he had with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Commission regarding the current state of affairs in EU-Turkey relations, and we will see how things develop in the immediate future.
I have also received some messages from the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on the Cyprus Issue regarding the timeline for her visit to Cyprus and several other European capitals, and we are working to have positive announcements soon.”

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When asked to comment on reports citing diplomatic sources in Greece regarding the cancellation of the expanded conference on the Cyprus issue, the President of the Republic said that “It is too early to say, and when it will take place depends on the results, because an expanded conference should be held to achieve positive results. We are currently focused on achieving those positive results, and a date will be set depending on how things unfold.”

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