Cyprus` Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Thursday that the whole international community, the UN five permanent members and the EU universally reacted negatively to Turkey`s insistence on changing the basis for a Cyprus settlement in favor of a two-state solution on the island.
In statements in Larnaca, and invited to comment on the position of Turkey`s National Security Council in favour of a two-state solution in Cyprus, Christodoulides said that “we did not expect to hear something different from the National Security Council of Turkey”, noting that “our efforts do not stop due to these statements, this approach by Turkey. On the contrary our insistence and our will are reinforced with a view to create the conditions, the soonest possible, for the resumption of substantive talks on the basis of the UN relevant resolutions.”
He added that apart from the Republic of Cyprus, the international community in its entirety, the five members of the Security Council and the EU universally reacted negatively to Turkey`s approach towards a change to the basis for a Cyprus settlement, and said that this issue is not evena matter for discussion.
He noted that this is something which the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear during their recent conversation as regards Turkey`s position on this issue.
Christodoulides also said that Nicosia expects the UNSG`s Special Envoy Jane Holl Lute`s visit to Cyprus the soonest possible to see how to create conditions for the resumption of talks.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
The 5+1 Informal Meeting that took place in Geneva, on April 27-29, has failed to find enough common ground to allow for the resumption of formal negotiations in relation to the settlement of the Cyprus problem.
UN Secretary – General, Antonio Guterres, has said that he will convene in the near future another meeting of the 5+1, the five plus the United Nations, again with the objective to move in the direction of reaching common ground to allow for formal negotiations to start.
