“I do not think any damage had been done to the Greek Cypriot side from the negotiations” in Crans-Montana, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said on Monday.

Speaking during a press conference, at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia, to evaluate the outcome of settlement talks that ended inconclusively last week in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and replying to questions raised by the journalists, President Anastasiades reiterated that the proposals submitted by the Greek Cypriot side on July 5 , 2017, in the framework of the Cyprus Conference “were withdrawn due to the failure to meet the claims we made”.

Called to comment the references made by Turkish officials that a solution should be found outside of the UN parameters, President Anastasiades said he cannot interpret the will of Turkey, nor any possible Plan B or Plan C. “We stick to the UN procedures and to what has been agreed so far”, he stressed.

Asked if he gave his consent to the closure of the Conference during the dinner held on Thursday, President Anastasiades said that they were not asked about that issue. As he noted, the UN Secretary-General ascertained that the conference had to be considered as closed, but not the talks process as a whole.

Regarding statements made by a UN spokesman on the meeting in Hamburg between the UN Secretary-General with the Turkish President, the day after Crans-Montana, President Anastasiades said that that the Secretary General’s intention was not to put the blame on anyone, noting that Guterres used a diplomatic language.

Replying to another question regarding the submission of his proposals, President Anastasiadis said that, as far as the internal aspects are concerned, none of the Greek Cypriot claims were met, including the territorial adjustments for Morphou and Maronite areas.

He also replied to those who support that Turkey was determined to put an end to the unilateral invasive right and guarantees, by saying that it was “an attempt to subvert”.

Regarding the inclusion in his proposals of the rotating presidency, President Anastasiades said that this was set on the condition of satisfying the claims of the Greek Cypriot side on the issue of security, guarantees and military troops. He added that the rotating presidency was already in the negotiating table, stressing however that he included the issue in his proposals on the condition that a number of prerequisites had to be fulfilled. “Each side can put and withdraw proposals. Who says we`re committed”, he wondered.

With regards to energy issue, President Anastasiades pointed out that we are proceeding with the energy program and the achievement of the goals we have set.

In another question about UN Secretary-General`s references to Cypriots in the “north” and “south”, President Anastasiades referred to Protocol 10, according to which despite the fact that the island of Cyprus as a whole joined the EU, the acquis communautaire is suspended in the area that it is not controlled by the Government of Cyprus Republic, which is the northern part of the island.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern part. UN-backed talks that took place on June 28-July 7, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended inconclusively. Peace talks aim to reunite Cyprus under a federal roof.

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