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UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has said that the situation as it stands after the Conference on Cyprus, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland which ended without a positive conclusion, is “complicated”, adding that he has not seen any immediate developments.
The Conference on Cyprus, which was organized to find a federal solution based on the equality of the two constituent states for the Cyprus problem began yesterday in Crans-Montana.
The conference, which started in January 2017 and which has been reconvened after 5 months, will be attended by the both sides in Cyprus, as well as the guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom.
President Mustafa Akıncı and the Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Anastasiades will participate in the conference as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Greece Foreign Minister Nikos Kocias and the Acting Director General, Defence and Intelligence at the British Foreign Office Jonathan Allen.
Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and Special Representative of the EU Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker`s Personal Representative to the UN Good Offices Mission in Cyprus, Pieter Van Nuffel will represent the EU as an observer country.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide explained that he would not present the joint document he prepared, and added that the outstanding issues will be discussed at the meeting.
The issues of “Security and Guarantees” will be also discussed on the 2nd desk, where the guarantors are also involved. The “Security and Guarantees” chapter will be discussed again at a political level.
President Mustafa Akıncı, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met with political party leaders and representatives at the working dinner.
Akıncı gave a briefing about the work of the first day of the conference and exchanged views about today’s work at the dinner.
During the first session of the Cyprus Conference, which began yesterday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, the Turkish delegation under the chairmanship of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu presented an ‘integrated approach’ to finding a solution with ‘a historical perspective’.
According to an AA correspondent, Minister Çavuşoğlu gave the message on the first day of the conference, saying: “We came here for a solution – the problem that has been continuing for 50 years must be solved.”
At a time when all issues were addressed simultaneously, Turkey once again emphasized its political will for a “just and lasting” solution on the island.
At a press conference with the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Conference on Cyprus Jeffrey Feltman, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said that he saw all attendees were hopeful, and made a fresh, constructive start to talks.
Giving information about the format of the conference, Eide noted that while the issue of “Security and Guarantees” was being discussed at table one, in which all attendees will participate, the other outstanding issues will be discussed at the second table by the negotiators.
Eide also said that the conference will continue along these two parallel levels, as Guterres said. He added that the issue of “Security and Guarantees” is important, but that there are also some uncompromising factors in other issues.
Responding to a question on the length of the conference, Eide said that the parties are determined to stay here until the problem is solved and that the UN is ready to support the process as long as the parties need it.
Eide said that the conference had technical plans to run until 7th July, but that this program could be extended if necessary.
In response to another question regarding the common document, Eide said “the document has not been withdrawn. That’s a wrong expression. We simply concluded that it’s not common. We presented it, it exists, and it is not common. So we are not using it as a common platform.”
“However, the positions that were captured in the document from Mont Pelerin in January and the ideas that had informed the drafting of the document in consultation with all parties, remained available to inform the positions of the sides” he added.
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.
The Cyprus conference will begin again today in the town of Crans-Montana in Switzerland.
The conference, which will be held within the framework of the UN Secretary General’s declaration on 4th June, will start at 10.00 local time. (TRNC time: 11.00)
The conference, which will be attended by the both sides in Cyprus, as well as the guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, will focus on the issues of “Security and Guarantees” alongside all other issues for which a solution has yet to be reached so far in the Cyprus negotiation process.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kocias, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson will participate in the conference. Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will represent the EU as an observer country.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to attend the conference in the following days.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Serdar Denktaş and Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu will be present at the negotiations to be held in Crans-Montana.
Meanwhile, the official opening of the Cyprus Conference was held yesterday evening at the Le Regent Convention Centre in Crans-Montana.
President Mustafa Akıncı, the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Kocias and the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson attended the meeting. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was also present at the dinner.
Additionally, President Mustafa Akıncı held a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Crans-Montana in order to evaluate the current status of talks before the conference.
Discussing the Cyprus Conference to be held in Switzerland, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş has stated that the UN has ‘forced’ the meeting in Crans-Montana this week.
Türkeş, who is in London said: “I have to use this term again, a meeting will be forcibly held in Crans-Montana by the UN on June 27-28, with a ‘compulsory’ ‘meeting once again.” He continued, “Turkish Cypriot people do not deserve the unfair isolations imposed on them and they need to get rid of these as soon as possible. The politicians in Cyprus, especially the TRNC President, the negotiator and the government, are doing their utmost. Turkey also supports the TRNC. I know that the international press often misrepresents these things. It is clear that Turkey has always lent its support to finding a solution.
The Greek Cypriot side, which unfairly secured EU membership in 2004, sees the Turkish Cypriot people as a minority. This is the problem – it starts here. Our proposal, however, is to facilitate two equal communities, and a new federation state. Turkey supports this. This is the truth. Today’s population rates do not mean anything. However, from time to time, the Western press, especially the European press says so many different things.”
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has stated that the UN will not present a “joint document” to the parties in the conference.
Eide said at a press conference at the UN Geneva Office that the Cyprus Conference, which will start today, will be the continuation of the conference in Geneva in January.
Eide reiterated the statement of President Mustafa Akıncı at the press conference held the previous day that the conference should be treated as time for “a decision”. Responding to the question, “Are you of the same opinion?” Eide said that this approach is crucial: “we hope that it will be a conference for a decision, for a comprehensive solution that will unite the island.”
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on all interested parties to consider the opportunity of Cyprus reunification this week.
In his written statement ahead of the Cyprus Conference which will start today in Switzerland, Guterres said that he is pleased that the parties are coming together again for negotiations in Switzerland. He added that this determined step which has been taken by the sides has encouraged him.
Stating that the UN would support this effort, Guterres said, “As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I reiterate my steadfast commitment to supporting this effort. I urge all participants to demonstrate the will and leadership required to conclude a comprehensive settlement.”
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.
Minister Ertuğruloğlu was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday in Ankara, where he travelled to hold meetings ahead of the Cyprus Conference, which will start on 28 June in Switzerland.
During the meeting held at the Turkish Presidency, the Cyprus negotiation process was discussed ahead of the Cyprus Conference in Crans-Montana. The delegations also attended the meeting which lasted for around one hour.
Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara the previous day.
Stating that the leaders have to compromise on some issues at the Cyprus Conference in Switzerland, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said that they do not approve of an approach that separates the discussion of the security and guarantees issue from the other issues. Yıldırım said that the solution should be reached “as a whole”.
The Turkish Prime Minister also said that the Cyprus issue was discussed during his meetings in Greece.
He said, “It is still uncertain whether the circumstances will allow the participation of the Prime Ministers of the guarantor countries Turkey and Greece in the meeting in Crans-Montana on 28 June. Cypriot leaders will have to make compromises on some issues. The issues of governance, territory, population, relationships with the EU and freedom following unification should be discussed and solved as a package. It is not certain yet if that would be possible in such a short time. We will follow the process and make any positive contributions towards reaching a solution”.
Ahead of the reconvening of the Cyprus Conference on 28 June, the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide will hold a press conference at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva.
According to a written statement issued by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, the Cyprus Conference will reconvene in Crans-Montana on 28 June in line with the memorandum issued following the meeting between the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the leaders in New York on 4 June.
Turkish Cypriot artist Zehra Mirana Faiz has given a piano concert in Hong Kong. Faiz represented North Cyprus at the international concert at City Hall, playing to great acclaim.
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.
