The agreed basis of solution to the Cyprus problem cannot change and no such possibility exists, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis told the press on Monday, following a meeting the President held with UN Secretary General's Special Representative on the island Colin Stewart. Stewart, the Spokesperson said, will submit his report to the UN Secretary General and the Government expects that this report will reflect objectively the situation on the island and the efforts of the government in the last sixteen months, since it assumed office for the resumption of peace talks with respect to the peacekeeping force's mandate on the island. He went on to say that the government will comment on this report after it is made public. Asked whether the UN Secretary-General's envoy, Maria Angela Holguin will brief the Security Council on her report, the Spokesperson said that this is up to the Secretary-General. He said that Holguin is the SG's personal envoy to whom she will deliver the report she is prep aring and himself may choose to inform the Security Council, on the basis of this report. Letymbiotis was invited to comment on a statement Stewart made to the press earlier about the militarisation of the buffer zone and him implying the need to demilitarise it. He was asked whether he believes that his report will document Turkish violations in Pyla, Deneia, Strovilia and Agios Dometios, the Spokesperson said that what we expect is for the report to reflect the situation objectively. He said that the Government fully respects the terms of the peacekeeping force's mandate and believes that everyone should respect these terms as well. Replying to another question if a joint meeting of the President of the Republic with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Holguin is likely to happen under these conditions, the Spokesperson said that we have responded positively to an invite for such a meeting and we expected a positive reaction from the Turkish Cypriot leader as well. Letymbiotis recalled that as soon a s President Christodoulides assumed office, he had this initiative for a joint meeting and this would have been a first step. In another question about Tatar's effort for direct flights and trade with the illegal entity in the Turkish occupied north part of the island, the Spokesperson pointed to the international law and international treaties. He said that the Republic of Cyprus is the only recognised state on the island. He underlined the need for all to show the same sincere will for the resumption of negotiations and called once again on the Turkish side to proceed to the negotiating table from the point the talks were left and on the agreed framework there for a solution to the Cyprus problem. Replying to another question about the 28 irregular migrants who are stranded in the buffer zone in Nicosia the Spokesperson said that the intention of the Republic of Cyprus has been repeatedly expressed by the President of the Republic and through written statements. He noted that we cannot and will not allow a new passage through the buffer zone to be created. He said that nobody mentions the root cause of this problem and the reason these 28 people are here. Letymbiotis went on to say that the migrants in their statements to the media, have testified that they passed through safe countries, namely Turkey, before they found themselves in the occupied territories of Cyprus and crossed to the buffer zone. However, he underlined, we do not see any reference to these international conventions and regulations that state that they should be deported to the country where they left from. Asked to comment on press reports that Holguin is preparing a proposal that "touches" on the basis of the solution, and that for this reason the President of the Republic called a meeting of the National Council, Letymbiotis said that there was criticism when the President of the Republic did not call the National Council and now we see the same criticism when he did call for a meeting. He said that the National Council, set to meet on Friday morning, has been convened for so that the President to brief the political leaders and have exchange of views about the last meeting he had with Holguin in Brussels. He recalled that Holguin's mandate derive from the Secretary General of the United Nations himself and his get his mandate from the UN Security Council. Letymbiotis said that the basis of the solution cannot change and our side remains committed to this agreed framework. He also said that it is through this framework of bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality, that all the concerns of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can be addressed and answered. 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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. Last January, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia a s his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. Source: Cyprus News Agency
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