The President of the Republic of Cyprus has stated that he will take part in the meeting with United Nations’ Secretary General and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervish Eroglu as it has been decided.

“I state very clearly that we will go to New York,” President Christofias said in statements to the Press after the meeting he held earlier on Friday with Eroglu in the framework of the UN-led talks, aiming at reaching a solution that would reunite Cyprus divided since 1974 Turkish invasion.

Invited to comment on the meeting, Christofias said he shares the statements made earlier today by UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer following the meeting.

“We are very close on the issue of the Parliament,” he added.

He noted however that there are still pending issues with regard to the chapter of governance on which there is a shift on the position by the Turkish Cypriot side.

“We stand by the position that has been previously agreed,” Christofias said.

The Cypriot President pointed out that another meeting between the leaders is scheduled for Wednesday 19 October and that their last meeting, before going to New York, will take place on 21st October.

“I hope that by then (the New York meeting) we will make one more positive step forward,” he added.

Furthermore, President Christofias stated very clearly that, in any case, he will be going to New York.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. UN led talks have been ongoing since 2008 between the two leaders with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

The meeting of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with the leaders of the two communities in New York will probably take place on October 30 and 31. This will be the forth meeting with the Secretary-General. The first took place in November 2010, followed by two more meetings held in Geneva on 26 January and 7 July 2011, during which both sides reaffirmed their commitment to finding a comprehensive solution as soon as possible, while in Geneva, on 26 January 2011, the sides agreed to intensify the negotiations.