Nicosia, Cyprus. United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin is expected to return to Cyprus within the final 10 days of the month as efforts continue in Cyprus and abroad to resume negotiations on the Cyprus problem, Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou said on Wednesday.
He said Holguin is continuing contacts abroad and is expected to meet officials in Brussels before travelling to Cyprus.
Prospects for enlarged meeting
Menelaou said an enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem could still take place before the summer holidays if conditions allow it to be productive.
He said the timing was less important than political will, adding that the Greek Cypriot side was ready to move forward. A productive meeting, he said, would need to lead to a decision to restart the negotiation process.
Federal framework
Menelaou said the Greek Cypriot side’s intention to resume talks was clear, but obstacles remained in positions expressed by the Turkish side.
He said the aim was to overcome those obstacles and restart talks on a federal basis, which he described as the only framework within which an effort could be made.
Turkish Cypriot position
Menelaou said the shift in the Turkish Cypriot side’s position following Tufan Erhurman’s election as Turkish Cypriot leader last October was not complete.
He said the shift involved a reference to political equality instead of sovereign equality, noting that political equality was customary and closely linked to a federal framework. However, he said there had been no reference to federation, which was holding back progress.
Menelaou said the issue stemmed from the Turkish side, which he said continued to advocate a two-state solution.
