Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades stated late on Thursday that Friday’s meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci “is considered one of the most critical meetings given everything that has taken place before.”
Both leaders are set to conclude week-long talks in Mont Pelerin, Switzerland, focused on the key territorial issue, on Friday.
Anastasiades made the statement after going to a restaurant in Montreux, near Mont Pelerin, for dinner with Akinci along with their negotiating teams.
The President chose not to give too much away if the Mont Pelerin talks were successful thus far, but he did say: “I must confess that there was further progress on pending issues.”
A crucial topic discussed during this week’s talks was the property issue, with Anastasiades saying that “further progress was noted,” however, he added, “it was completely linked, as we had said repeatedly, with the territory issue.”
CREATIVE EFFORTS
Commenting on Thursday’s territorial talks, the President outlined: “There is a creative effort on the part of both sides, there is a good climate, but these by themselves are not enough to provide the outcome. Everything will depend on the dialogue that will follow tomorrow [Friday].”
When questioned by a journalist as to what he specifically meant, with regards to his reference on “everything,” Anastasiades replied, “by everything I mean as far as the conclusion here is concerned, with regards to the territory issue, in the sense of the agreement on the criteria or not.”
NOT THE FINAL MEETING
The President emphasised that Friday’s meeting “is not final” as, “for some 42 years we have been negotiating the Cyprus Problem. The effort now is to create those indispensable conditions that will allow us to proceed to the next step.”
When questioned by a journalist as to whether a territorial map will be on the table during Friday’s talks, Anastasiades replied: “The first prerequisite is the agreement on the criteria; second is, based on the criteria, to have maps submitted, which will reflect the agreement on the criteria.”
NOT THE END OF THE PROCESS
The President stated that “if it is considered that there is progress then consequently we can proceed further. If it will not be possible to conclude what we seek, it will not be the end of the process; we will continue the dialogue in our homeland.”
After the dinner with Akinci, speaking to Turkish Cypriot journalists, Anastasiades remarked that “we are negotiating in a very good climate with a commitment to meet each other’s concerns, but this is not enough.
“It depends on what we will see tomorrow [Friday], which is the most critical day; to see if we are within reach in order to finalise or to continue our deliberations furthermore in Cyprus.”
In a tweet posted by Akinci’s after his dinner with Anastasiades, the Turkish Cypriot leader wrote: “Our aim is to solve the 50-year Cyprus Problem and to give new life, a new future to future generations of both communities.”
BACKGROUND
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and illegally occupied its northern third.
Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led negotiations since May 2015, with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.
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