Christodoulides and Erhurman to hold final meeting before UN General Assembly

Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman will hold their final meeting before the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 17, at 11am.

Talks on Cyprus reunification

Christodoulides has said the two sides do “not have a plan B”, telling Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeni Duzen before an earlier meeting this month that “the only possible solution is the reunification of Cyprus” and that “the current status quo does not allow our country to fully utilise its potential”.

Following the earlier meeting at the old Nicosia airport, Christodoulides said discussions had continued on methodology, substance and confidence-building measures. He said there was “a common understanding” on some issues, while disagreements and differing approaches remained on others.

Trust and confidence-building measures

Erhurman said after the same meeting that he had urged Christodoulides to “refrain from initiatives which undermine trust”.

He said that, while the sides had been unable to agree on new confidence-building measures during a significant part of the meeting, they had conveyed their views on external and internal initiatives which were eroding the existing level of trust.

Erhurman said he had stressed the need to create the “conducive climate” referred to by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, adding that this required new confidence-building measures and a halt to actions that erode trust.

Objections raised by Erhurman

Erhurman had earlier criticised the Republic over the cancellation of international events in the occupied north, including a children’s football camp organised by FC Barcelona and a music festival in Kyrenia.

He also objected to arrests by the Republic of individuals accused of illegally using or selling property in the occupied north previously owned by Greek Cypriots, as well as Cyprus’s deepening relations with Israel.

He said it was “evident to everyone, not only to Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, but also to the international community, that writing history together is by no means an easy task”.

Negotiators’ meeting

Negotiator Menelaos Menelaou is due to meet the Turkish Cypriot leader’s special representative, Mehmet Dana, tomorrow afternoon.