President Anastasiades has said “we are on a path that leads to hope,” in statements to the press following the conference on Cyprus in Geneva.
He added that if there is an acceptable agreement then there will be a solution.
“On December 1, I made the responsible decision to have a conference on Cyprus started. The results [of the conference] have justified that decision,” he said.
The decision, the President said, was made to achieve two goals, the first being to overcome the impasse in talks reached at Mont Pelerin, and the second to have the Turkish Cypriot and Turkish side’s intentions become clear.
TERRITORIAL ADJUSTMENTS
On the territorial adjustment issue, President Anastasiades said that for the first time the return of territory was confirmed.
He added: “Since 1974, we have been waiting for a solution every year. Never before has the Turkish Cypriot side submitted a map, nor has Turkey been at the table.”
COMPLETELY IN LINE WITH GREECE
President Anastasiades has said that the Greek Cypriot side is completely in line with Greece, and that there is “no divergence of opinion” with Athens. He also thanked Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias for his presence and his unwavering support.
SECURITY AND GUARANTEES
In the first discussion on the security and guarantees issue since the 1974 invasion, President Anastasiades said that there had been a start to the dialogue.
He also cited the UN announcement on Thursday night, which said that the security of one side cannot be a threat to the security of the other.
The President added that the proposal that was put forward by the Greek Cypriot side on the security and guarantees issue was the only one discussed at the negotiating table.
President Anastasiades said that the position referred to the end of the guarantees system and the removal of Turkish troops from the island.
Asked about Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s statements on Thursday night that Turkish guarantees would remain on the island, the President said: “Only instability is secured by the presence of Turkish troops on the island.
“No one has expressed their complete negative stance on the proposals on security yesterday.”
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