The new guarantees agreement should also include Turkey, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said after his meeting with President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday.
Asked to comment on the different opinions being heard on the security issue, Akinci said that it is not secret that there are differing opinions, and reiterated his position that no troops and zero guarantees will not bring a positive result to discussions.
He added that statements from the Turkish Cypriot side should not centre on the continuation of the existing guarantees system, and that there will be no change.
Akinci said that so an issue does not arise for the Turkish Cypriots on the matter, there should be a new arrangement on the guarantees issue, which includes Turkey’s presence.
PARTICIPANTS AT THE GENEVA TALKS
The Turkish Cypriot leader said that during the second part of the talks on Thursday, both sides were informed about the Geneva conference, and exchanged opinions on the matter.
Regarding the participants at the Geneva conference on Cyprus on January 12, Akinci said that his opinion is clear, and the same as the statement released on December 1, which states that negotiations will continue on January 9, 10, and 11, while on January 12 a five-party conference will be held with the guarantor powers.
He reiterated that other interested parties will be invited, such as the EU, but not as participants. Akinci said other parties would be invited as observers.
Regarding the meeting with President Anastasiades, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that the two exchanged opinions on the negotiators’ meetings to date.
He added that the two negotiators Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ozdil Nami informed the two leaders on the progress made.
The positions of both sides, Akinci said, need to be balanced, and that the approach that guarantees should be abolished before the conference in Geneva, “will not create a positive outcome.”
Akinci added that both sides would discuss the security and guarantees issue before the conference in Geneva, but that the final result would be decided in Switzerland.
He said he hoped that the process in Geneva from January 9 to 12 would bring a final result on the Cyprus issue.
Source: CNA
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