Cyprus’ opposition political parties have expressed their belief that UN Secretary-General Special Advisor on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, has demonstrated a biased attitude to the Turkish Cypriot side when it comes to the CyProb negotiations.
Radio Proto reported that Eide’s recent comments on the Cyprus Problem negotiations “disturbed” the Republic’s government.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades instructed Government Spokesperson Nikos Christodoulides to contact Eide to seek an explanation for his recent comments.
Eide told Christodoulides that his comments were “misinterpreted” and clarified that what he said was for the two leaders to “focus on the immediate future in order to reduce the differences that remain” and that “different approaches” were perhaps required to do this.
Christodoulides spoke to Radio Prodo on Thursday morning, stating that “over time there have been differences with previous Special Advisors to the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus, even with Ban Ki-moon himself.”
‘CAMP DAVID’ MEETING
Christodoulides also commented on Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci’s suggestion to host a ‘Camp David’-style meeting abroad.
The Government Spokesperson didn’t rule out the idea which could possibly pave the way for guarantors Britain, Greece and Turkey, along with Anastasiades and Akinci, all meeting face-to-face for the first time.
On Tuesday Akinci told Turkey’s NTV: “We want to create an environment outside Cyprus where a series of meetings will take place on sensitive issues which concern Cyprus’ territory.
“Right afterwards we want a five-party conference to take place, and we want all these to happen within the next one to two months,” he said on Tuesday.
UN TALKS
Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led peace talks since May 2015 with a view to finding a solution to the Cyprus Problem.
The island has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and illegally occupied its northern third.
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