Steps taken to ensure EU and P5 participation in the Cyprus Conference, Anastasiades says




President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades said on Wednesday that steps are being taken to secure the participation of the EU and the Five Permanent Members of the Security Council in a Cyprus Conference, set to take place January 12 in Geneva. He pointed out that the presence of the EU is “sine qua non“.

President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci decided last week that they will meet in Geneva on the 9th of January, on the 11th of January they will present their respective maps and that from the 12th of January, a Conference on Cyprus will be convened with the added participation of the three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey and the UK), while other relevant parties shall be invited as needed.

The President in statements to the press following a meeting of the National Council, his top advisory body on the Cyprus issue comprising the leaders of parliamentary parties, said that the aim was to continue the negotiations from where they were left in Mont Pelerin in November. He stressed that the presence of the Five Permanent Members of the UNSC and the EU is “sine qua non”.

The two leaders held in November two rounds of talks in Mont-Pelerin, Switzerland, focusing on the territory aspect of the Cyprus problem. The UN announced after the end of their talks that despite their best efforts, they were not able to achieve the necessary further convergences on criteria for territorial adjustment that would have paved the way for the last phase of the talks.

President Anastasiades told the press that he will meet with Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras tomorrow in Israel, where a trilateral meeting between Cyprus, Israel and Greece will take place. He added that they will also meet in Brussels and if needed, in Athens as well, to further discuss issues relating to the multilateral conference of January 12.

He went on to say that despite the disagreements, the meeting of the National Council was productive and he had the chance to hear out the concerns and some disagreements voiced by the political leaders. The President said that he takes into account everything that was said with full respect and that the strategy to be followed will be drawn always in consultation with the leaders and the Greek government.

Asked about the initiatives that are taken to ensure that the Conference in Geneva will be a multilateral one, granted the concerns of some political parties that the presence of the Cyprus Republic has not been guaranteed, the President pointed out that “what needs to be done will be done“ adding that it is not wise and nor is it responsible to discuss these things in public or via the Media based on perceptions that one might have.

He said once again that the Conference is a multilateral one.

Replying to a question, President Anastasiades said that the political leaders will accompany him in Geneva.

Invited to comment on concerns raised by political parties about him having abandoned his previous commitments, the President said that the negotiations will commence from where they were left at in Mont Pelerin, pointing out that this was a demand of the political parties, following the collapse of the talks at the Swiss resort.

He also said that at some point the moment of truth will come and that the Conference of January 12 is not the end. The President said that if there is a need for the dialogue to continue, this will happen. He also pledged once again that the Greek Cypriot side goes to Geneva with determination and having in mind the concerns of the Greek Cypriot community, without ignoring those of the Turkish Cypriot community.

“It is our will that at some point we need to reach a solution that will satisfy both sides in a state where there will be the prerequisites for peaceful existence and reunification, without foreign occupying troops and guarantees,” he said.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May last year, with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

CNA/GS/KCH/MM/2016
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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