The president is ready to meet with the UN Secretary General even in August, as he stated in an interview with the newspaper “Ta Nea” – What are Nicosia's red lines in Cyprus
Ready to respond to an invitation of the UN Secretary General , even in August for a meeting “which will pave the way for the resumption of talks”, said the President of the Republic in an interview published today in the newspaper < strong>“The News”.
President Christodoulidis stated that despite the pessimism created by Turkey's public positions for a two-state solution and for the recognition of sovereign equality, “I really believe that in the context of the negotiations, taking advantage of the negotiating acquis until now but much more considering that the EU can to provide answers to any concerns of the Turkish Cypriot community, I will do everything possible to achieve a positive result”.
He believes that the UN Secretary-General feels encouraged both by his own clear political will but also within the context of the new climate of Greek-Turkish relations and remains committed to the basis of the agreed framework.
The President of the Republic also believes that the gap between the two sides can be bridged. “And I tell you this because I know very well what the disagreements are at the negotiating table, disagreements that, I repeat, can find answers,” he says.
Answers, he adds, “that will be satisfactory not only for the Greek Cypriots or only for the Turkish Cypriots. Answers which are positive but also effective for the entire Cypriot people through the EU”.
“The status of the Republic of Cyprus as a member state, which will continue to apply even after the resolution of the Cyprus issue , is the best insurance policy and provides all the answers to the concerns expressed at the negotiating table”, notes the President.
Asked what are the red lines of Nicosia in Cyprus, President Christodoulidis replies that the red lines reflect the current situation. “For example, there cannot be foreign troops, occupying troops in an EU member state. A third state cannot guarantee the security and efficient functioning of an EU state. There are some issues, these red lines, which, you understand, cannot be accepted.”
“At the same time, and I emphasize the EU because I know that it can provide effective answers to the concerns of the Turkish Cypriots as well as ours, it must be an EU member state that can function. A member state that will be able to go to Brussels and effectively participate in the decision-making process”, he adds.
On Athens-Nicosia relations and the reference to “honesty“, the President of the Republic states that honesty means telling things as they are. “And I want to be completely honest: there are, yes, cases where we might have different approaches, different, if you will, opinions. We should not hide them, we should discuss them. Let's discuss them with the aim of reaching a common approach. I am not a fan of an approach that was followed in the past, with press releases that described a complete agreement between Athens and Nicosia while there were different approaches that we swept under the carpet,” he says.
“Honesty it also helps to achieve our goals. It is only through dialogue and honesty that we can bring about the desired results”, he points out.
Regarding the Greece-Turkey rapprochement and whether the effort to improve Greek-Turkish relations will affect Nicosia's aspirations in the Cyprus issue, the President of the Republic reiterates that the UN Secretary-General is also encouraged by the new climate in Greek-Turkish relations. This improvement, he continued, considering that Turkey refuses to talk to the Republic of Cyprus, is something that “allows us to send the necessary messages to Ankara through the Greek government. Well, I consider the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations to be a positive development in the direction of solving the Cyprus problem”.
Besides, as the Greek Prime Minister himself said, there can be no normalization of Greek-Turkish relations without resolving the Cyprus issue, he noted. He also underlined the reference of Mr. Mitsotakis at the event for the condemnation of the treacherous coup and the Turkish invasion in Nicosia, “how to discuss does not mean that we agree and of course it does not mean that we retreat. So it is within the correct approach that any differences can only be resolved through dialogue”. offers solutions to issues of regional, European and international interest.
The initiative of the Republic of Cyprus, he continues, was the one that strengthened even more the need for Brussels to be present in the developments in the region. He also expresses particular joy at Mrs. von der Leyen's intention to create a special portfolio in the Commission that will deal with Mediterranean issues.
