Guterres: “Leaders agreed on the need to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus in June”
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has announced that President Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades have agreed on the need to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus in June, in line with the 12 January statement from the first conference.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a statement following the meeting he had with the two leaders at the UN headquarters in New York on Sunday.
Stating that all sides agreed that the chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance to the two communities, Guterres emphasised that progress in this chapter is an essential element in reaching an overall agreement, and in building trust between the two communities in relation to their future security and co-existence.
“The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, will engage with all participants in the preparation of a common document to guide the discussions on security and guarantees, based on the outcomes of the conference on Cyprus in Geneva and the meetings in Mont Pelerin”, said Guterres.
The Secretary General also added that the leaders had agreed to continue the bi-communal negotiations in parallel in Geneva, with a specific focus on the territory, property and governance, and power sharing chapters, as well as other outstanding issues.
Guterres stated that the leaders agreed that all issues will be negotiated interdependently, and that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, as per the joint declaration of the 11 February 2014.
“As a follow-up to this meeting, I will reach out to the other participants of the conference: Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom and the European Union as an observer” Guterres concluded.
2nd CONIFA Euro Cup 2017 kicks off in the TRNC
The 2nd Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) Euro Cup 2017, which gathers the national teams of countries and regions that are not members of International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), kicked off this weekend, hosted by the TRNC.
The opening ceremony of 2nd CONIFA Euro Cup 2017 Championship, which is organised under the slogan ‘Freedom to Play Football,’ was held in Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadium yesterday evening.
In his opening speech, the President of the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (CTFF) Hasan Sertoğlu, welcomed all the participating teams. He added that the 2nd CONIFA Euro Cup 2017 would be a chance to show that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is equal to any of the UEFA and FIFA member countries and to highlight what can be achieved if the opportunity is given to Turkish Cypriots.
CONIFA European President Alberto Rischio thanked the Turkish Cypriot Football Federation for providing such high standards, and said that the tournament proved that all restrictions and obstacles can be overcome.
CONIFA World President Per Anders Blind said that CONIFA is a very special platform because it is a unique opportunity to showcase a diverse cultural heritage and the principle of friendship to the world.
In his speech, Prime Minister Hüseyin Özgürgün underlined that such an organization has great significance for the youth of the TRNC. He added “We are a generation who have lived for many years with the bitterness of our young people because they have been denied the friendship, brotherhood and peace structure of sports due to the mentality of the Greek Cypriots.
Özgürgün added that the sports embargoes imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and its youth are a violation of human rights and a shame on humanity.
Source: TRNC Public Information Office –
To read more news and information from the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, please click here
Pictures shown are courtesy of the TRNC Public Information Office Facebook page.
