The future of Cyprus talks remains uncertain, after the Turkish Cypriot side refused to attend planned negotiations on Thursday, Radio Proto reported.
On Wednesday, President Nicos Anastasiades was informed by UN Special Adviser on Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci refused to attend the meeting.
Following the cancellation of the meeting government spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides said that the Greek Cypriot side was not happy about the development to stall talks, adding that a vote in parliament to refer to a 1950 ‘Enosis’ referendum in schools was not the real reason talks were cancelled.
The recent stall in talks also incited the response of the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who expressed hope that the obstacles in the Cyprus talks will be overcome and the procedure would soon move forward, according to CNA.
Guterres received the credentials of the new Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations, Ambassador Kornelios Korneliou.
CNA learnt that the Cypriot ambassador informed the Secretary General that the meeting between President Anastasiades and Akinci that was scheduled for Thursday will not take place, following the Turkish Cypriot leader’s decision not to attend the meeting and the conditions put forward by the Turkish side.
Personal interest
The Secretary General reiterated his personal interest and his support for the procedure aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof, noting the key role of the two sides and the guarantor powers.
During the meeting the Permanent Representative briefed the Secretary General about the positions of the Cypriot government over the latest developments in the Cyprus talks, a press release of the Permanent Representation of Cyprus in New York, said.
“The Secretary General assured the Permanent Representative that he will continue his efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Cyprus problem and stressed that he looks forward to a continuous close cooperation with Cyprus, as a UN member state,” the press release said.
A UN spokesperson also told CNA that new dates for a leaders’ meeting will be announced in due course.
The spokesperson added that UN Secretary General Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide is continuing to work with both leaders, who both stated their commitment to the process.
On Wednesday, reactions from Turkey and the occupied areas demanded the Greek Cypriot side change the parliament’s decision in order to move forward with negotiations.
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