Fitto to visit Ankara and Athens for Cyprus problem talks
European Commission envoy Raffaele Fitto will meet Turkish and Greek political leaders ahead of further Cyprus problem contacts.
Nicosia, Cyprus. European Commission Cyprus problem envoy Raffaele Fitto is expected to travel to Ankara and Athens in the coming days for talks with Turkey’s and Greece’s political leadership on the Cyprus problem. The visits are intended to support the process ahead of the next contacts between the two sides.
Upcoming meetings
The Cyprus News Agency reported on Tuesday that Fitto’s meetings would be held “to support the process on the Cyprus issue” and in view of the next contacts between the two sides.
United Nations Cyprus problem envoy Maria Angela Holguin is expected to be well enough to travel to New York for the UN’s high-level week next week. Earlier this month, she was unable to attend planned engagements in Cyprus and New York for health reasons.
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and President Nikos Christodoulides are both expected to meet the UN Secretary-General during their visits to New York next week. The two leaders are also due to meet each other in Cyprus on Thursday.
Preparations for New York
Christodoulides said on Monday that “feverish preparations” were under way in the hope of achieving tangible results on the Cyprus problem next week.
He said the desired goal was “the announcement of the resumption of negotiations” in earnest on the Cyprus problem.
Following the leaders’ most recent meeting last week, Christodoulides said a document listing convergences reached in Cyprus problem talks so far would be ready in “a matter of days”.
He said that once the document was ready, there could be a joint meeting in New York, either with the UN Secretary-General or his personal envoy, and either at leaders’ or negotiators’ level, though this was not certain.
Issues under discussion
Christodoulides said last week’s discussion had continued on methodology, substance and confidence-building measures.
“On some issues, there is progress, in the sense that there is a common understanding. On some, however, there continue to be disagreements, different approaches,” he said.
Asked whether he was satisfied with discussions on the methodology of talks and the substance of the Cyprus problem, he said the issues were clear regarding how to move forward and create conditions for the resumption of talks.
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