The European Union has made an unprecedented intervention regarding Cyprus peace talks, with the EU’s top officials sending a joint letter to the United Nations Secretary-General as informal discussions begin in Geneva.
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised in their letter to Antonio Guterres that any solution must be compatible with EU legislation and underscored the EU’s role in the settlement efforts.
The letter, seen by philenews, was also shared with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
In their communication, the EU leaders reaffirmed “the European Union’s steadfast commitment to the reunification of Cyprus through a substantive solution within the United Nations framework, based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and aligned with European Union principles, values and legislation”.
Costa and von der Leyen expressed satisfaction that Guterres’ meeting with the two leaders in New York on October 15 led to continued dialogue, adding their hope that this week’s expanded meeting in Geneva “will bring further progress and open the way for formal negotiations”.
“The European Union stands ready to play its role and actively contribute and enhance its efforts to support the United Nations-led process,” they wrote.
The letter was sent at the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus. Government sources described it as “a move of high importance both in terms of timing and content,” representing the EU’s intervention at a critical moment following its declared intention to be present at the Geneva multilateral conference.
For Nicosia, the fact that a joint letter is sent by both the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission to the UN Secretary-General is indicative of the importance and weight given.
President Christodoulides spoke with both Costa and von der Leyen yesterday. Beyond expressing their support for the president’s efforts, they discussed the content of the letter to the UN Secretary-General.
The European Council President informed Christodoulides about his telephone conversation with Guterres, during which Costa stressed that “the Cyprus issue is also a European issue”.
He emphasised that the EU is fully committed to a comprehensive settlement within the UN framework for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality.
Costa clarified that the EU cannot accept the position for a so-called “two-state solution” and that a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean is part of the EU’s strategic interest.
Despite earlier assessments, Guterres chose not to include the Cyprus issue on the menu during yesterday’s dinner in Geneva.
According to the National Council briefing, Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar was a mere spectator during discussions on international and regional issues.
The UN Secretary-General told President Christodoulides that it is difficult to achieve a resumption of talks at this stage, though he appeared cautiously optimistic that some positive steps in this direction might be possible.
Following the dinner, Christodoulides had a brief conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Government sources maintained this was purely social and they did not discuss the Cyprus issue.
Today, President Christodoulides will meet with the United Kingdom representative, followed by a bilateral meeting with the UN Secretary-General and subsequently the plenary session of the informal conference.
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