Cyprus Talks: Leaders set to meet up to ten times this month

Cyprus: Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci on Tuesday resumed negotiation talks after their return from New York where they met with the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and agreed to intensify negotiations. According to Tuesday's meeting, President Anastasiades and Akinci will meet about nine or ten times in October in an effort to try and reach the greatest possible convergence on existing differences, said Anastasiades.

Anastasiades who was speaking after his meeting with Akinci, said if the convergences are reached, the negotiation process will then enter a new stage, of discussing territorial adjustments, which could take place in a third country.

President Anastasiades described Tuesday’s meeting as productive stating that;

“because we were given the opportunity to go through chapter by chapter, to see existing differences, so that October can be the month of intensive consultations.”

Anastasiades said both leaders are scheduled to meet around nine or ten times during the month of October “so that we can achieve the greatest possible convergence in existing differences.”

He noted that if such progress was observed “we would move to another stage, of discussing the fifth chapter which concerns territorial adjustments,” adding that there was a probability that the meeting would take place in a third country, due to Akinci’s reservations and concerns.

Anastasiades said if that is the case, he would be accompanied by the members of the National Council, the top advisory body on the Cyprus issue, in which parliamentary party leaders are part of.

“If we were to observe such progress in the territory chapter, such which would allow, we would potentially move to the next stage, convening a multilateral conference which would focus on the matters of guarantees,” adding that “provided that there is progress in everything discussed.”

Asked on whether the issues of security and guarantees would also be discussed in Cyprus, president Anastasiades said the leaders could “have a brainstorming,” and said that the most important thing was to focus on the existing differences so that they could move forward to the 5th chapter, which is that of territory which is linked to property.

President Anastasiades who declined to comment on the recent interviews given by Akinci that have been somewhat critical of the outcome of the New York meeting, said;

“What I note is his [Akinci’s] decisiveness, on the basis of everything I have described, to move forward together to achieve if possible a political, comprehensive solution before the end of 2016, provided that the Turkish Cypriot side – and the Turkish side on matters concerning it will show the good will expected by all those who proclaim that they desire the definitive solution of the Cyprus problem.”

Source: Cyprus Mail