The government is entering into a process for resuming the Cyprus talks with optimism and properly prepared, and not by thinking about failure, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Thursday after the meeting of President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides with Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus, Colin Stewart.
Asked how difficult he considers the mission of the new UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to the Cyprus issue due to the positions of the Turkish side, he said that “we know the possibilities, we are realistic. What is important at this moment is to take advantage of any opportunity, to exploit the timing and the important appointment, so that the conditions are there for the resumption of negotiations.”
He reiterated that based on the resolutions of the UN Security Council there can be no other solution than the bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality.
Moreover, he said that if the same political will is shown by the other side as well
, then the negotiations can resume very soon. Letymbiotis also said that the National Council, top advisory body to the President for the Cyprus issue, will convene on Monday under the President of the Republic in order to discuss the strategy and the next steps after the appointment of the envoy and to exchange views with the political leadership of the country.
Letymbiotis said that the President of the Republic conveyed to Stewart once again the readiness of the Greek Cypriot side for a constructive stance with the aim of resuming negotiations, in view of the appointment of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Cyprus issue.
“We believe that the UN Secretary-General’s reports to the permanent members of the Security Council should present the facts as they are in their objective dimension, so that the conditions can be created for the immediate resumption of negotiations within the agreed framework,” he said.
The Spokesman added that the President of the Republic once again conveyed to C
olin Stewart the intention to have a constructive stance and continue taking initiatives adding that they expect the other side to show the same constructive attitude.
Asked about the content of the UN Secretary General’s reports, he said that what is clear and has also concerned the Security Council after the incidents in Pyla, is to ensure and clarify that the status of the buffer zone can not be changed based on the terms of the mandate of the peacekeeping force.
The Spokesman said that it is also important to adhere to the agreed solution in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.
“We are before an important development after a prolonged stalemate in the Cyprus issue and the appointment of an envoy should mark a period in which the conditions for resuming negotiations can be explored,” he said.
Asked about the points in the report for which the government considers that there should be an improvement, especially for the issues of the buffer zone, he said that in the light
of the final text, the government would like for the facts to be presented objectively as they are in the buffer zone.
“The Republic of Cyprus respects the status of the buffer zone and not only do we respect it, but also in the face of a crisis when the occupying regime tried to question the status of the buffer zone in Pyla, we took the initiative to turn this crisis into an opportunity”, he stressed.
He added that the government started implementing the understanding in Pyla because it deemed it would be very beneficial for both communities.
“We expect this to be reflected in the reports of the Secretary General,” he went on to say.
Asked whether there is information from the United Nations about whether they will remove a camera installed by the Turkish side in a house in Agios Dometios, he replied that the President of the Republic reiterated that he expects the peacekeeping force to restore the status of the buffer zone as it was in Agios Dometios and to continue the efforts to implement the underst
anding in Pyla.
He added that the peacekeeping force has the obligation, according to the terms of its mandate, to ensure the status of the buffer zone and restore the situation as it was before the incidents in Agios Dometios.
Source: Cyprus News Agency