Statement by the Secretary-General on Cyprus

I warmly welcome the finalisation of a joint communiqué today and the formal re-launch by the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Derviş Eroğlu, of fully fledged negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

I commend the leaders for their commitment to resuming negotiations and for their hard work in the past months to reach what is an important statement of shared principles and invaluable basis for renewed talks.

I also recognise the indispensable role played by my Special Adviser Mr. Alexander Downer to this point, beginning from his appointment in September 2008. Mr. Downer has informed me that now that the joint communique has been achieved, he has decided to take up a new position and step down as my Special Adviser. I thank him sincerely for his perseverance and commitment over the past five and a half years, and wish him well in his future endeavours.

The United Nations will continue to support the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in their efforts to reunify the island and move on from decades of separation. I personally pledge our resolute commitment to these efforts. 

New York, 11 February 2014

Statement by the President of the Republic  Mr. Nicos Anastasiades

The President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades , made today the following statement to reporters at the Presidential Palace, after the meeting he had earlier with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Dervish Eroglu, in the UN Protected Area, in the now defunct Nicosia international airport, in the presence of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus, Mrs. Lisa Buttenheim, with regard to the resumption of the negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

In his statement, the President of the Republic said:

“I want to believe that this day will be the beginning in order to put an end to the undesirable and unacceptable situation that keeps our island and our people divided for about forty years.

It is the wish of the leaders of both communities, within an atmosphere of mutual respect and mutual understanding, to reach a solution that will terminate for good the current unacceptable state of affairs, and that will create the conditions for us to live in a modern European state, which through respect for the human rights of all the citizens, will create the conditions for coexistence, joint achievements and progress.

It is well known that the solution will be based on the High Level Agreements and the numerous decisions and resolutions of the United Nations, in order for the Republic of Cyprus to evolve into a federal, bicommunal, bizonal state with political equality.

Today’s joint statement sets the framework for the basic principles of a solution. What is required is the vision and the determination of the leaders, but also of the people of Cyprus, to work so that, on the one hand, to reestablish the trust among them, but also, at the same time, to achieve a solution that will not yield winners and losers.

Addressing the country’s political leadership and fully respecting the various views, I call on them, in response to the common wish of all the Greek Cypriots, for us to join forces for what is to follow, because it is well known that the joint communique is not the final solution but the beginning of an arduous effort in order to reach the desirable goals.

I am certain that the love for our homeland, but also the patriotism, which is a given, of all of the political forces and the people, will let us fight united for the final vindication of the expectations of our people.”