President Christodoulides: “Time for Substance in Cyprus Issue - Ready to Restart Talks”

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, stated that it is time for substantive discussions on the Cyprus issue and expressed his readiness to participate in an expanded conference under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, with the aim of resuming negotiations from where they left off in Crans Montana. He described the tone of the UN Secretary-General's reports on his Good Offices and UNFICYP as positive, emphasizing the need to focus discussions on the substance of the problem. The President Christodoulides pointed out that during the last two years, talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar were limited to confidence-building measures due to the latter's positions, and did not progress to substantive discussions. He reiterated his readiness to participate in a conference with the sole purpose of resuming negotiations from Crans Montana. The President's statement follows the UN Secretary-General's reports, which refer to the need to resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue, based on the agreed framework. The Secretary-General's report also recognizes the challenges in achieving a sustainable solution, but stresses the importance of continuing efforts. The Republic of Cyprus seeks a solution based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as defined by UN Security Council resolutions. The resumption of negotiations is considered crucial for achieving a fair and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem, which will benefit all Cypriots.