President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades will stress at the European Council in Brussels the need for Turkey to fulfill its obligations as regards the visa liberalization benchmarks towards all member states, as a prerequisite for any decision in the future, Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides has said.
In statements to journalists in Brussels on Thursday, Christodoulides said that the Cypriot President will also discuss with his counterparts the issue of security and guarantees of the Cyprus problem.
Christodoulides added that the European Council will discuss about migration, the visa liberalization for Turkey, Syria and Russia, while there will be a first briefing by the British Prime Minister on how the UK will proceed with Brexit.
On the sidelines of the Council, he said, President Anastasiades will discuss the Cyprus issue, focusing on the chapter of security and guarantees. He recalled that the President raised this issue during the EPP Summit in Maastricht with the President of the Commission, the President of the European Council , the German Chancellor, and the Prime Minister of Finland.
The Spokesman said that the President is satisfied with the response of his interlocutors about the proposal on the table of the Cyprus talks, regarding the chapter on security and guarantees.
He also said that yesterday evening, the President held a long and very constructive meeting with the Greek Prime Minister, during which they agreed on their coordination in relation to their international contacts on the Cyprus issue, and discussed in extent the issue of security and guarantees.
It is a common belief that in the framework of a settlement of the Cyprus problem, the issue of security should be addressed in the context of the proposal of the President of the Republic, he stressed.
Asked whether Cyprus is satisfied with the European Commission`s statement today about Turkey`s obligation to fulfill the criteria for the Turkish visa towards all member states, the Spokesman said that the Commission`s declaration is in the right direction.
He reiterated that the President of the Republic will explain to the EU leaders Cyprus` positions on the matter in more details.
The overwhelming majority of the EU members states, he said, share Cyprus` positions and the need for Turkey to fulfill its obligations towards all member states.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN led talks have been underway since May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal
