The UN Secretary-General is considering a trilateral meeting, but there must also be a response from the other side, said President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, following a meeting he had on Thursday in New York with António Guterres.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the President first expressed his satisfaction with the meeting he had with the UN Secretary-General and said that the new ideas we presented on issues of substance, methodology, and the MOE had been received very positively by the UN Secretary-General.
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“I am pleased because the strategy we had set for more active EU involvement is key to this major effort, and as the UN Secretary-General informed me, he discussed the Cyprus issue in detail with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council,” the President continued.
He said that a joint meeting between the two negotiators, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, and Ms. Olgin will take place today.
President Christodoulides also noted that he had informed the UN Secretary-General that he is prepared to extend his stay in New York if the Secretary-General deems it necessary, so that a joint meeting could take place, while he thanked the UN Secretary-General for his strong commitment to making progress toward the resumption of negotiations before the end of his term.
“And I believe, based on what I have heard and what we have discussed, that yes, this is a feasible outcome if there is political will,” he emphasized, noting that the UN Secretary-General is working toward this goal.
When asked how the UN Secretary-General responded to his statement that he is willing to extend his tenure and whether a trilateral meeting is under consideration, the President said that it is indeed on the UN Secretary-General’s mind and that he will inform him accordingly. “You understand that there must also be a response from the other side,” he reiterated.
When asked if he could comment on any of the 19 new ideas he had submitted, the President of the Republic said he would prefer not to comment publicly, but expressed his satisfaction that the Secretary-General had accepted these specific ideas regarding substance, methodology, and confidence-building measures.
“Let’s give diplomacy some room to work in the coming hours; let’s see if any concrete developments emerge over the next 24 hours,” he emphasized.
I am certain, he added, that the UN Secretary-General is doing everything possible to convene an expanded conference that will lead to the resumption of talks.
When asked if he had received any information from the UN Secretary-General regarding his meeting with the Turkish President, the President said that the UN Secretary-General had indeed briefed him and that their discussion began from there.
When asked about the convergence document, he said it is in its final form and is part of the broader discussions they had.
Responding to another question, President Christodoulides noted that the efforts being made by both the UN and the EU are precisely aimed at achieving this breakthrough that will lead to thenegotiations, building on the progress made up until the final day at Crans-Montana.
SEE ALSO: The Cyprus Issue in New York: A Reading of Christodoulides’ Speech, Rumors of a Trilateral Meeting, and Guterres’s Hidden Cards | AlphaNews
Source: CNA
