The reference to the European Union in the UN Secretary-General’s report on his good offices is particularly important, said President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, who does not feel that any pressing timeline is being created in relation to the reports urging leaders to seize the opportunity.

On the contrary, he said in response to questions from journalists upon his arrival at the PASYXE General Assembly, “we are seeking, if possible, to see substantive progress toward a solution to the Cyprus problem as early as tomorrow.”

President Christodoulides recalled that it was our own actions that led to the momentum we are seeing right now. “And what I find particularly important in the Secretary-General’s report is the reference to the European Union.  This was the goal I set out to achieve; I had mentioned this role even before my election, and some people criticized me and made sarcastic remarks,” he pointed out.

He added that we can see today that this policy is yielding results, noting that many European leaders are currently in Turkey for the NATO summit.

The President of the Republic said that he is in close contact with the President of the Commission regarding everything that is being discussed and will be discussed there “and we hope that positive results will emerge in this regard.”

When asked about tomorrow’s dinner between the President of the European Commission, the President of the Council, and the Turkish President, he said he cannot predict what the outcome of tomorrow’s dinner discussion will be, but what he does know and is certain of is “what will be conveyed by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission regarding the strategy we have outlined— namely, linking EU-Turkey relations to positive developments in the Cyprus issue, which will pave the way for positive developments in EU-Turkey relations as well.”

“Everything depends on the behavior, the stance, and what the Turkish President, the President of the Commission, and the President of the European Council will say; we are operating within the same framework, so let’s wait until tomorrow, and we’ll keep you informed. I want to tell you that I am in constant contact, particularly with the President of the Commission,” he said.

He further stated that yesterday he exchanged some very specific messages with the President of the Commission, and today they agreed to speak by phone later.

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When asked to comment on the fact that the Secretary-General’s report on UNFICYP states that three Greek Cypriots have fired upon Blue Helmets, the President said that “There is always an approach on the part of the UN that I do not endorse; they try to maintain a balance between the two sides. If they write something negative about one side, they’ll find something to write about the other as well. This isn’t just happening today; it’s been happening over time.”

He noted that the essence of the matter is that there is momentum in the Cyprus issue after so many years—momentum that began with our own persistent efforts—and we hope it will lead to positive results.

When asked if he sees any contradictions, given that the report states that a solution is unattainable without Confidence-Building Measures, yet confidence-building measures cannot replace negotiations, the President of the Republic said that “we are not discussing confidence-building measures at this time.”

“The Secretary-General’s personal envoy herself, when she last visited Cyprus, conveyed to both leaders that focusing on the United Nations Secretary-General’s guidelines is the essence of the Cyprus issue, with the aim of resuming talks,” said the President.