Under the microscope of the UN, the options for continuing the effort – The Secretary General is looking for a way to inform the two leaders of his intentions – Difficult task for a joint meeting next week or the last ten days of September – The “packages” that Guterres is considering proposing
The team handling the Cyprus issue at the UN has overcome the discontent caused by the developments of the previous weeks and is already considering its options for the next steps. The turn of events after the tripartite meeting on August 13th disappointed New York. However, efforts will continue, according to the assurances received by the Greek Cypriot side.
The UN Secretary General remains committed to the goal of resuming the conversations, considering that the procedure should be done based on the framework determined by the resolutions of the Security Council. That seems to be the focus of the effort to hold a joint meeting of the leaders with Antonio Guterres before the end of the month.
The task is difficult, however the UN is trying to involve Turkey more in the process. He takes for granted the stated approval of the Turkish government to hold the tripartite meeting and indirectly calls on Ankara to… comply with Ersin Tatar. A complicated situation, since Erdogan is in practice the moral author of the movements of the occupying leader. They put the “wolf to guard the sheep”.
The goal of the Secretary General is to bring the two leaders to the same table in order to discuss with them and announce their intentions of the next steps. According to the leaks, it was worked out with a procedural formula to discuss the security and governance aspects in the first phase. It is a first package and if there is progress in it then the process will move to the second stageof the discussion of the remaining four chapters included in the so-called Guterres Framework.
If it is not possible to hold a tripartite meeting next week or in the last ten days of September in New York, then Antonio Guterres will consider proposing the framework to the two leaders separately. He will see the President of the Republic for 15 minutes on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and as usual after the conclusion of the work of the session, he will meet for another 15 minutes with the occupying leader.
In pending motion and a new call from the UN, the Government will seek again in the near future to further involve the United States and the European Union in efforts. Before us is the informal Council of European Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which will take place on August 29 in Brussels. The participation of the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, creates an important juncture.
Nicosia expects a clarification of intentions, which will perhaps bring some tangible results regarding the interconnection of Cypriots and Euro-Turkish. The fact that all the “players” will be sitting at the same table creates an opportunity to have an open discussion about the “give-and-give” package that the Greek Cypriot side is trying to put on the table, aiming for a mutually acceptable agreement that will lead to in the resumption of talks with prospects of a positive outcome.
