Britain will respond positively to any invitation from the United Nations Secretary-General to participate in multilateral talks on Cyprus, a Downing Street spokesperson told international media.
London maintains it will not miss any informal conference on the Cyprus issue whenever it takes place.
The UK position was articulated last week during a meeting between a Downing Street spokesperson and foreign correspondents. Responding to a question from Doros Partasides about Britain’s potential participation in new Cyprus talks, the spokesperson noted that “no invitation has been received yet” but added that “when such an invitation is received, the UK will participate to help the UN in efforts leading to a solution“. The spokesperson emphasised that Britain’s position remains that any final settlement should be reached through agreement between both communities.
Nicosia and other stakeholders are awaiting the UN Secretary-General’s next moves. Currently, there are no updates regarding either Rosemary DiCarlo’s visit or the convening of multilateral talks. However, sources suggest developments may occur soon, as the Secretary-General appears to be aiming for multilateral talks before year-end, likely between late November and early December.
President Christodoulides has expressed readiness to restart Cyprus negotiations, which he said would help advance EU-Turkey relations, a point he raised with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their Thursday conversation.
“As relayed to me, the Turkish President requested – as he also stated during his intervention at the European Political Community Summit – the strengthening of EU-Turkish relations, citing the positive climate between Greece and Turkey as additional evidence of Turkey’s desire to enhance EU-Turkish relations”, Christodoulides said, referencing information received from President Macron on Thursday evening.
The Cypriot president welcomed Macron’s response to Erdogan that “strengthening EU-Turkish relations involves addressing the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s Cyprus-related obligations”.
“The Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state. It is significant that these messages are not only conveyed from our side but are transmitted by the EU as a whole”, he added.
At Thursday’s European Political Community summit dinner, Christodoulides reported having “a very productive and interesting discussion about the outcome of the American elections”. He emphasised the shared recognition of the need to strengthen transatlantic relations, stating that “the USA needs the EU, the EU needs the USA, and only through enhanced cooperation can we address common challenges”.
The president also noted that Mario Draghi would present his competitiveness report to leaders on Friday, emphasising the EU’s serious approach to addressing competitiveness challenges, particularly in comparison with the US and China.
