cyprus talks — cyprus talks — President Christodoulides has made it clear that the Greek Cypriot side is ready to engage in discussions regarding the Cyprus issue without delay. He characterised concerns about the timing of the talks, particularly in relation to May’s Parliamentary Elections and Cyprus’s EU Council Presidency, as ‘ridiculous’.
Speaking to journalists in Nicosia following the Saint Maron celebrations, Christodoulides responded to inquiries about the future of the Cyprus negotiations. He expressed readiness to convene an expanded conference as early as next week, signalling a commitment to resume discussions from where they left off at Crans-Montana.
His remarks came in light of statements made by Turkish Cypriot leader Erhürman, who referenced challenges related to crossing points, especially at Agios Dometios. Christodoulides noted that the Republic of Cyprus had long been prepared to address road widening in that area but faced delays due to the dead zone. He mentioned that Cyprus had proposed taking action themselves to expedite the process, though this was met with a negative response from the Turkish Cypriot side when Tatar was in charge.
While he admitted he had not yet read the article by UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Holguin, Christodoulides made it clear that his message was directed at multiple parties, including the Turkish Cypriot community and Turkey, as well as the international community. He reiterated his readiness to meet in New York next week and affirmed his commitment to annoucing the resumption of negotiations.
Christodoulides emphasised that neither the EU Council Presidency nor the upcoming Parliamentary Elections should be viewed as obstacles to the talks. He stated, ‘The Parliamentary Elections result or the process towards Parliamentary Elections does not affect matters in any case.’ He asserted that if there is genuine will from both the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides, progress can be made.
When questioned about the UN’s stance that holding a conference on the Cyprus issue was impossible due to the EU Presidency and Parliamentary Elections, Christodoulides countered, ‘But how do they make it impossible when I tell you I am ready next week?’ This statement highlighted his frustration with the perception that external factors should hinder the process of negotiation.
He concluded by challenging any party that feels incapable of attending the talks to speak out publicly about their hesitations, reiterating that the Greek Cypriot side stands ready to participate in the expanded conference and resume negotiations with full respect for the negotiating acquis.
