The two leaders in Cyprus are meeting today for the first time in six years in the presence of a United Nations Secretary-General’s envoy to discuss the substance of the Cyprus problem and the resumption of negotiations.
President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman are discussing with Maria Angela Holguin at the old Nicosia airport, following a joint visit to the Committee on Missing Persons’ Anthropological Laboratory.
Erhurman arrived first at 3:15pm, with Christodoulides arriving at 3:23pm. Holguin, already at the location, welcomed both men.
Following the trilateral meeting, both leaders will attend a reception at the residence of the UN Secretary-General’s special representative, Khassim Diagne.
‘We need political will’
Christodoulides said political will is needed for talks to resume from where they stopped at Crans-Montana, noting this is the goal with which he approaches today’s discussion.
“It is a particularly important meeting, which I look forward to. I am ready, I have ideas, I have specific proposals for substantive discussion towards the resumption of talks from where they stopped at Crans-Montana,” the president told journalists as he left the Presidential Palace.
Christodoulides referenced a statement from Erhurman referring to UN Security Council resolutions.
“I also read yesterday a statement by the Turkish Cypriot leader referring to UN Security Council resolutions, refers to the resolutions, so we have the basis too. What we need is the political will for talks to resume from where they stopped at Crans-Montana, this is the goal with which I come to the discussion, with specific ideas and specific proposals,” he said.
The president added that other issues would be discussed, including confidence-building measures that must proceed alongside the negotiating process. “I hope we will have positive news,” he said.
Missing persons impasse
Asked whether he would raise the missing persons issue given the current impasse, Christodoulides acknowledged the deadlock.
“You are absolutely right that there is an impasse, and I mentioned previously that I go with specific ideas and proposals if we want this humanitarian issue – not to go simply for photographs or to make statements – in practice for there to be progress on this humanitarian issue outside the process, outside any framework. And we have specific proposals today on which I hope to find positive response,” he said.
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