The decision by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to visit Cyprus personally and his stated intention to convene a new expanded meeting are positive developments towards the resumption of Cyprus talks, according to Viktoras Papadopoulos, director of the Presidential Press Office.
Speaking on Politis radio's Morning Briefing, Papadopoulos said Guterres' presence on the island demonstrated that the UN chief believes there is both a prospect and a window of opportunity for progress on the Cyprus issue.
Cyprus issue remains within UN framework
Responding to criticism that no date or concrete roadmap was announced for a new expanded meeting, Papadopoulos argued that the significance of Guterres' visit should not be underestimated.
He said the visit reaffirmed that the Cyprus issue remains firmly within the framework and parameters of the United Nations, despite what he described as Turkish efforts to shift discussions outside the scope of relevant UN resolutions.
Green light for a new 5+1 meeting
Papadopoulos said Guterres has secured agreement from all parties involved for the convening of a new 5+1 meeting.
He acknowledged that there had previously been resistance even to holding such a gathering, but said the secretary-general has now decided to proceed, provided adequate preparation takes place.
According to Papadopoulos, the objective is not another inconclusive meeting but a conference focused on substantive issues and capable of leading to the formal resumption of negotiations.
Reference to past convergences is significant
Papadopoulos attached particular importance to Guterres' references to existing convergences and the compromises required to complete the "last mile" towards a settlement.
He argued that these references clearly point to negotiations resuming from the point at which they were suspended, rather than the launch of an entirely new process from scratch.
No discussion of "new ideas"
Papadopoulos also rejected reports suggesting that so-called "new ideas" had been presented to President Nikos Christodoulides.
He said such proposals were never put before the president and that discussions between Christodoulides and Guterres focused instead on the substance of the Cyprus issue, including both the negotiating framework and the ultimate objective of a settlement.
