Nicosia, Cyprus. House President Annita Demetriou said on Wednesday that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ intention to convene a new enlarged meeting keeps open the process and prospect of resuming substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
She said progress requires seriousness, responsibility and focus, while the convergences already achieved should guide the next steps.
Demetriou’s position
Demetriou said no developments had marked a substantive step forward and no date had been set for an enlarged five-plus-one meeting.
However, she said it was important that existing convergences continue to form the basis for subsequent steps.
“The current juncture demands seriousness, responsibility and, above all, focus, so as to achieve the necessary progress which the secretary-general expects,” she said.
Demetriou added that her party, Disy, would continue to contribute consistently and constructively to every genuine effort that preserves the prospect of substantive negotiations.
She said such negotiations must take place within the agreed United Nations framework and in line with European Union principles and values.
UN plans for enlarged meeting
Guterres announced his intention to hold a new enlarged meeting after separate and joint discussions with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman.
He said the meeting would be convened after adequate progress is achieved on confidence-building measures, the methodology of the meeting and the substance of the talks.
Guterres said his envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, has been working with the parties, building on past United Nations efforts and on what she has heard directly from Cypriots.
Call for progress
The UN secretary-general said he had heard from many Cypriots during his contacts on the island.
“Their message was clear: they want progress,” he said, adding that they want their leaders to make compromises and take the final steps towards a settlement.
He said Cypriots want a future defined by cooperation, opportunity and peace rather than division, describing this as the spirit of his discussions with the two leaders.