?he remarks made by the Greek Government Spokesperson Palvlos Marinakis concerned the UN plans over the next steps in the Cyprus problem and not a settlement plan, Deputy Governement Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou said on Wednesday, reiterating that Nicosia awaits the decisions of the UN Secretary General on the way forward.
In statements following a Cabinet meeting, Antoniou was invited to comment the remarks made by Marinakis on Tuesday over a ‘UN plan’.
Antoniou said that ‘it has been clarified that the Greek Government Spokesperson was referring to the next steps by the UN and we are waiting the decisions of the UNSG on how the process will advance forward,’ adding that ‘it was a misinterpretation.’
‘It is not a UN plan but the programming of the UN concerning the UN Secretary-General’s initiative over the next step in the Cyprus problem,’ he added.
Replying to a question as to when will the UN Chief announce his decisions, the Deputy Spokesperson said Nicosia awaits Guterres’ decisions.
‘We are on ho
ld, for us it is important that the conditions on the basis for a solution are met and that (the process) will be in line with the framework and under UN auspices,’ Antoniou added.
On July 10 Maria Angela Holguin, the UNSG Personal Envoy on Cyprus, delivered her report to the Guterres who will consider her suggestions and will propose the next steps, as his Spokesperson Stephan Dujarric has said.
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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia as 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