An informal meeting of the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took place on October 15 in New York. An agreement was reached on the opening of new checkpoints on the Green Line and on a multilateral meeting with the participation of guarantor countries.
There are still disagreements on key issues
Nikos Christodoulides expressed satisfaction with the results of the informal negotiations. At the same time, the President of Cyprus stated that key disagreements between the two sides still remain unresolved. Nicosia's main focus during the conversation was on consolidating previous decisions and maintaining dialogue between the country's two communities.
Christodoulides emphasized that the tone of the conversation inspires optimism. Even the most pressing issues were “discussed openly.” Some concern is caused by the fact that, despite the constructive dialogue, he did not hear anything new from Ersin Tatar. “Our position was to ensure negotiations in accordance with the proposal of the UN Secretary General. An agreement on this issue has not yet been reached,” he said.
Five-way meeting ahead
A five-party meeting involving guarantor countries is likely to take place after talks between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers in January. Continued efforts to reach mutual understanding and prepare for upcoming informal meetings will likely be coordinated and chaired by UN Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo. Ersin Tatar did not support the proposal to continue the mission of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Maria Angela Holguin. According to him, she was unable to achieve the implementation of three demands of the Turkish-Cypriot side: direct flights, direct trade, direct contacts of the international community with the quasi-state.
New checkpoints will appear on the Green Line
Another important outcome of the meeting was the parties' potential agreement to open new checkpoints on the Green Line. However, it is known that of the three options proposed by the Greek Cypriots - Kokkina, Pira and Afienou - the Turkish Cypriots are seriously considering only the last one, since the other two places have Turkish military bases. The Turkish Cypriots, in turn, demand the opening of a checkpoint in the village of Mia Milia in eastern Nicosia.
TRNC wants sovereignty
Following the negotiations, Ersin Tatar summarized: the next step should be an extended meeting with representatives of the guarantor countries. Tatar repeated: his demand concerned the sovereignty and equal legal status of the “TRNC”. “Unless our sovereign equality and equal international status are confirmed, we will not sit down at the formal negotiating table,” he said.
Antonio Guterres, in his statements, emphasized the UN's commitment to participating in a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue. The UN Secretary-General expressed regret that, despite the participation of his special envoy, the parties were unable to find a common language.
Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted by the Center for Migration, Identity and Human Rights Research (CMIRS) in September showed that three out of five residents of the occupied territories want a solution to the Cyprus problem. 59.06% of respondents answered this way. However, only 36.94% are optimistic about the prospects for a Cyprus settlement. When asked how they would vote in a referendum on unification if it took place, 31.17% answered that they would definitely vote against, 54% - that they would vote in favor.
The text was prepared based on materials from Cyprus Mail and Politis.
More on the topic:
The “authorities” of the quasi-state in the occupied territories of Cyprus have approved the minimum wage. It turned out to be higher than in the territories controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. For more details, see our material “Minimum wage in the TRNC – 1060 euros.”
At the Agios Dometios checkpoint, after expansion work, a separate lane was opened for students, teachers and the elderly. It is designed to serve Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the occupied territories. Read more in our material “A special lane at the checkpoint was opened for certain categories.”
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