President Anastasiades asks for Nuland’s contribution so that Turkish side abandons two-state solution in Cyprus
President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday asked Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the US State Department, Victoria Nuland for her contribution, so that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership leave aside the “unacceptable narrative” of a two-state solution in Cyprus and abstain from new provocations.
He also referred to the possibility of investments for an energy corridor in the eastern Mediterranean for the export of energy to European markets.
In a written statement, Government Spokesman, Marios Pelekanos, said that during their meeting, that took place at the Presidential Palace, President Anastasiades and Nuland exchanged views on the dramatic developments in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts made to end the war. Other similar issues were also discussed, such as the need to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including support to the rapidly increasing number of Ukrainian refugees.
“On the issue of sanctions imposed, in an attempt to put pressure on Russia to reconsider its stance and end the war in Ukraine, President Anastasiades reiterated the importance of alignment of countries such as Turkey with these sanctions,” the Spokesman said. He added that President Anastasiades criticised Ankara`s continued refusal to do so and noted that the Turkish stance, in this case, is not only due to self-interest, but also undermines the intended goal of the sanctions.
Pelekanos also said that the President and Nuland also discussed the impact of the current energy crisis, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, as well as the importance of the EU`s energy independence, through, among other things, the diversification of its energy sources.
The Spokesman said that President Anastasiades underlined the substantial contribution that Cyprus can make in this area, pointing out that, in the context of cooperation between the states of the wider region on natural gas issue and other green energy sources, investments can be made “for the creation of the Energy Corridor in the eastern Mediterranean for the export of energy to European markets through appropriate infrastructure.”
President Anastasiades also referred to the Cyprus problem and pointed out that, in light of the developments and changes observed in Europe, the effort to resume the negotiations towards a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus problem should be intensified, within the framework set by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
“After stating that the Cyprus issue is a vital issue and an open wound for all Cypriots, he focused on the Confidence-Building Measures he has proposed, which aim at, both strengthening trust and cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and creating those conditions for the resumption of negotiations, under the auspices of the UN,” the written statement said.
According to the Spokesman, President Anastasiades asked the US Under Secretary for Political Affairs for her contribution so that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership leave aside “the unacceptable narrative of a two-state solution” which is contrary to any logic as regards international law and abstain from new provocations, either within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus or through the creation of new unacceptable faits accomplis in Varosha.
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.
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