UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wants to see progress on the Cyprus problem before his term ends, President Nikos Christodoulides said after the two met in New York on Thursday. He added that Guterres was considering a trilateral meeting.
Christodoulides thanked Guterres for his strong commitment to getting negotiations restarted before he leaves. Based on what he had heard and what they had discussed, Christodoulides said: “Yes, it is a feasible development, if there is political will.” He added that Guterres was working towards that goal.
A trilateral meeting also needs a response from the other side, Christodoulides said. He told Guterres he was ready to extend his stay in New York for a joint meeting if Guterres considered it necessary, and he intends to stay on if the Turkish Cypriot side responds positively. Guterres would let him know, Christodoulides said. The plan depends on the other side’s response.
“Let’s give diplomacy room over the next few hours and days,” Christodoulides said, adding that they would see whether concrete developments emerged.
New ideas
Christodoulides presented 19 new ideas and proposals for the next steps, covering substance, methodology and confidence-building measures. He said Guterres received them very positively, but declined to make them public. Guterres had seen the ideas before the meeting. Sources familiar with the meeting told Phileleftheros he recognised that they could form a basis for progress.
Wider meeting
Guterres considers a new enlarged meeting feasible, the same sources said. Guterres and Christodoulides agree on convening a multilateral meeting, recognising that it depends mainly on Turkey’s position. The Turkish side still agrees in principle, although its rhetoric has so far shown no substantive change.
Christodoulides said he was sure Guterres was doing everything possible to convene an enlarged conference that would lead to talks resuming. He said Guterres had briefed him on the Secretary-General’s meeting with the Turkish President, which was where their talks began.
EU role
Christodoulides said he was pleased because the strategy he had set out for more active EU involvement was key to this major effort. According to Christodoulides, Guterres said he had discussed the Cyprus problem in depth with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council.
Christodoulides said the UN and EU efforts were aimed at unlocking the process so that negotiations could resume, building on what was achieved up to the last day at Crans-Montana.
At a working lunch, ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5) regarded Christodoulides’s approach and proposals as very constructive, according to Phileleftheros’s information. They also showed considerable interest in the role the EU could play.
Government sources said Guterres praised Cyprus’s contribution to managing regional crises, thanked the Republic of Cyprus for its initiatives and spoke of excellent cooperation with the country.
Christodoulides said the convergences document was in its final form and formed part of their wider discussions.
