The results of the second informal enlarged conference on the Cyprus issue are “in the right direction” said Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, while also referring to “significant results”.
In his statements to the United Nations headquarters in New York, shortly after the expanded conference was completed, Mr. Christodoulides also said that there could be even better results “if there was the necessary political will”.
“We are seeing a small but significant progress, step by step, in the direction of the big goal that, as well as the secretary general, said is the resumption of talks and resolving the Cyprus problem,” he said.
He also said that the next two leaders’ next appointment with the Secretary -General has already been set at the week of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as the next enlarged meeting shortly after the electoral process in the occupied areas.
On the issue of opening the barricades he said that the Greek Cypriot side accepted the Turkish Cypriot side’s recommendation to open the barricades of one apple and Lurutzina, expecting a response to the Turkish side. He said that there was a lot of debate in relation to the barricade from the areas of Athienou to Aglantzia and “there was some progress”, but he said the Turkish side was not able to make final decisions today as the Turkish army’s consent needed, which he said, applies to him.
The debate continued, and noted that a target was made, that is to say progress in the measures decided at the previous informal expanded meeting in Geneva.
Asked by reporters about the attitude of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidani at the meeting today and whether the long debate he had with him last night after the dinner convened by the UN Secretary -General, the President of the Republic said that “today we did not hear it. At the same time, yesterday’s meeting of special importance, a meeting that lasted almost an hour touched three issues. The Cyprus issue, Turkey’s Cypriot obligations in relation to the EU but also the Euro -Turkish relations and Turkey’s desire for specific positive developments. There has been a very interesting discussion, opinions have been exchanged, it is important that this dialogue was made in the past and this dialogue will continue. “