UN chief Guterres appreciates need to resume Cyprus talks

Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou said the UNSG appreciates the need for the resumption of the Cyprus talks yet acknowledges it is a difficult issue, in remarks to overseas Greek and Cypriot journalists and UN correspondents, on Tuesday.

He also confirmed that he met with the UNSG’s Chef de Cabinet, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, where he delivered President Nicos Anastasiades’ letter to Secretary General Antonio Guterres where he explains the current situation in the Cyprus settlement talks and the decision of the Turkish Cypriot side not to participate in the discussions.

“The Secretary General understands that there is an issue as well as the need to resume the dialogue but also that it is a difficult matter,” Korneliou said. He added that the Secretary General is ready to help in the resumption of the talks, noting that Guterres appreciates the issue and will be careful in every action he takes.

Korneliou also mentioned that ten days after assuming his duties as the new UN Chief, Guterres travelled to Geneva for the Cyprus problem and during his meetings, Guterres’ personal interest on the Cyprus problem was reconfirmed.

The new Cyprus Permanent Representative to the UN said that what clearly ensues from his meeting with Guterres and Viotti as well as meetings he has had with permanent members of the Security Council is that Turkey’s reaction is seen as exaggerated.

Answering questions, Korneliou said that no one can foresee how the procedure on Cyprus will develop after the referendum in Turkey, however, if the procedure remains stagnant until April that might possibly cause a problem.

Forthcoming visits by Cypriot officials

Korneliou referred to forthcoming visits by Cypriot officials in New York this month, the Government Spokesman as well as the Ministers of Finance, Energy and Transport who will participate in an investors’ conference in New York on March 22, while First Lady Antri Anastasiades will be honoured on March 5 by the Cyprus Children’s Fund during an official dinner in New York.

He also referred to the gathering organised by the UN permanent missions of Cyprus and Italy at the UN on the importance in protecting cultural heritage and the illegal trading of cultural goods, noting there is a legal gap in this field.

Meanwhile, the State Department confirmed that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades spoke on Tuesday, adding “unfortunately, no readout is available”.

Earlier this month, Akinci walked away from a meeting, in the framework of Cyprus peace talks, shortly after it began, due to an amendment passed by the Parliament, which includes a once a year discussion of ten minutes in school classrooms about the 1950 referendum held in Cyprus, which favoured then favoured a union (or ‘enosis’) with Greece.

President Anastasiades has described the parliamentary amendment as "wrong" and called on Akinci to return to the negotiating table. Akinci demands that the amendment of the Parliament is revoked before resuming talks.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus recalled the unanimous decision of the National Council where it declared that no one is pursuing ‘enosis’ or division, noting that “we remain committed to the unanimous decisions of the National Council, the UN resolutions and Security Council decisions for the type of solution that we are working for. This should have been more than satisfactory.”

Source: CNA

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