Consultations at a technocratic level with Germany regarding a possible reference text on EU-Turkish relations, which may be incorporated into the conclusions of this or the next summit, are underway, according to the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.
He made these statements upon his arrival at the European Council on Friday morning.
President Christodoulides also welcomed the inclusion of a reference to the Cypriot initiative for a maritime corridor to Gaza in the conclusions on the Middle East adopted on Thursday evening.
President Christodoulides further referred to his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, during which they discussed specific next steps on the Cyprus issue.
In this context, the President expressed hope that there would be developments by April that would clarify how close we are to a possible resumption of talks.
Asked by CNA about the ongoing discussions following Germany’s proposal to include a paragraph on EU-Turkey relations in the conclusions, the President stated that consultations continue at a technocratic level on the text.
“As I mentioned yesterday, we had a meeting with the three of us, namely the Chancellor of Germany, the President of the Council, and myself. Subsequently, there were consultations at a technocratic level,” Mr Christodoulides noted.
Late last night, he continued, “I spoke again with the German Chancellor,” adding that “these discussions will continue today, and we hope for a positive outcome.”
“Our position, I repeat, and I also mentioned this to the German Chancellor, whom I thanked for the increased interest they are showing in Cyprus,” he continued, noting that Germany played a role in the appointment of the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy and in Turkey’s response.
“We, more than any other member state, want to see positive developments in EU-Turkish relations.”
Positive developments, he continued, “that also go through Cyprus, through a step-by-step approach, an approach that, with an enhanced role of the European Union,” as “the European Union has the tools,” can lead “to a mutually beneficial situation.”
“We will see today how the ongoing consultations will conclude,” he added.
Asked if there is a text, the President said, “We have been discussing a specific text since last night,” and as he said, “there is interest from other member states,” “so if there is a common approach among us, something may be put forward at the European Council level.”
He noted that other heads of member states were also approached yesterday, “such as the French President who is interested in both EU-Turkish relations and Cyprus,” and who requested to be briefed on the consultations with Germany.
“Let’s see how things will evolve today, and depending on whether there will be something on the table or in a subsequent Council, we also have the April Council,” President Christodoulides added.
In his statements, he first and foremost praised “yesterday’s inclusion in the European Council conclusions of the Cypriot initiative for the humanitarian corridor to Gaza,” emphasizing that he considers “the recognition of the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus” not only in the conclusions but also in the interventions made during the discussion as “particularly important.”
“All heads of states welcomed our country’s initiative, and I believe it is a particularly positive development,” as it highlights the country’s role in the region.
This was something that, he continued, “was also referred to by the UN Secretary-General in his intervention, both in his public statement and in the private meeting,” adding that he expects even more support from partners for the initiative.
Regarding the discussion with the UN Secretary-General, President Christodoulides spoke of “a very good meeting.”
“We are aware of the difficulties, the problems, the challenges, but we also discussed the next, specific steps, and I hope that soon, within April, there will be some developments. Developments that will help us see how close we are to the resumption of talks from where they were interrupted in Crans Montana,” he explained.
Finally, commenting on the issue of security and defence, which was also concluded in the conclusions on Thursday, the President spoke of a significant development and expressed his satisfaction “for the announcement by the President of the Commission that in case of her re-election, she will proceed with the appointment of a Commissioner for Defence.”
“It is an area that falls within the broader framework of the strategic autonomy of the European Union,” he continued, noting that as Cyprus “we are enthusiastic supporters, and I was pleased yesterday because there was a general understanding of the need for the European Union to further advance in defence and security matters, for all member states to invest more,” and also “to further strengthen the European defence industry.”
“As the European Union, if we want to claim what we all say, the geopolitical role of the European Union,” he continued, highlighting that “this geopolitical role passes through a strong will and policies, actions to strengthen the defence and security sector.”
