Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has expressed to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres his readiness and determination to engage with true political will in the talks which will take place during an informal meeting on the Cyprus problem, in Geneva, between 27 and 29 April.
In a letter of reply to Guterres` invitation sent today, President Anastasiades “expresses his satisfaction about the invitation he received for the informal conference on Cyprus, in Geneva, between 27 and 29 April,” a written statement by the Director of the President`s Press Office Victoras Papadopoulos says.
Papadopoulos adds that, he also conveyed “his thanks to the UN SG for his efforts and Special Envoy on the Cyprus problem Jane Holl Lute`s efforts, to reach an agreement in relation to convening the conference on specific dates.”
“President Anastasiades reiterated once more his readiness and determination to engage with true political will in the talks of the informal conference in order to find the common ground which will lead to the resumption of talks to reach a viable and functional solution, on the basis of the work done so far, the mutual understanding recorded on November, 25, 2019 in Berlin, UN resolutions and decisions, EU principles and values and the various High Level Agreements,” the written statement reads.
The UN announced on February 24, that an informal five-plus-one meeting on the Cyprus issue will take place 27-29 April, to determine whether common ground exists for the parties to negotiate a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, within a foreseeable horizon.
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.
(CNA)
