Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has said that the government will wait for any developments as regards the position of the Turkish Cypriot side concerning the joint declaration that will pave the way for the beginning of talks on the Cyprus problem, adding that he does not expect to have any new contacts with the United Nations on Saturday.

In statements to press, after presiding a meeting of political party leaders, and invited to say if the UN has presented anything new, in the framework of efforts to conclude an agreement on a joint declaration, Anastasiades said “it is advisable to wait until the afternoon to see the developments and then there will be full update.”

He said that any decision he will make will be made known and will be justified to the public.

“It is better to wait and see any developments from the meetings and the expectations created by certain people, with regard to the further actions of the Turks or the Turkish Cypriots,” he noted.

Asked if he had a meeting on Friday afternoon with UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer, the President replied negatively, while asked if he had a telephone conversation with Downer, during which the latter submitted a proposal to him, he said that such a thing did not happen.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Previous UN – led efforts to reunify the island under a federal roof have failed. A renewed effort begun in September this year, with meetings between the two negotiators of the two sides as well as a meeting between the leaders of the two communities, with the aim to finalize a joint  declaration that would pave the way for the Cyprus talks to resume.