The UN-led initiative to revive Cyprus peace talks is focused on recording the convergences reached up to the 2017 Crans-Montana conference, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou said, describing the effort as a preparatory step towards a new expanded meeting and a decision on resuming negotiations.
Speaking to Politis Radio 107.6 and 97.6, on the show Defteri Anagnosi, Menelaou said the process does not constitute a new round of negotiations but rather an effort to document and update positions already recorded in United Nations archives.
"It is an update of what is already recorded and exists in the United Nations archives," he said. At the same time, responding to questions, he clarified that convergences are not being changed, but simply recorded, based on UN records.
Recording existing convergences
According to Menelaou, the objective is not to create new convergences or revise those achieved in previous rounds of talks, but to establish an updated record that could facilitate a future expanded conference at which decisions would be taken on the next phase of the process.
He said the fact that the convergences are already documented in UN records should allow the exercise to proceed relatively quickly. The key question, he added, is whether all sides demonstrate the political will required for the process to lead to a new meeting and a resumption of negotiations.
Referring to methodological proposals submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side, Menelaou welcomed references to preserving existing convergences and focusing discussions on issues that remain unresolved.
"If this is confirmed in practice as well, we believe that a genuine prospect for progress can be created," he said.
UNSG’s role
Menelaou also highlighted the role of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying there appeared to be a strong personal commitment by the UN chief to advancing the Cyprus issue during the final stage of his term.
He noted that a recent statement issued following Guterres' contacts in Cyprus referred both to preserving convergences and to UN parameters for a settlement, which he said reinforced the agreed basis for a solution and the achievements of previous negotiations.
However, he said it remained unclear how the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides would act in practice, adding that conclusions should be based on developments rather than public statements.
Menelaou revealed that the idea of having the United Nations formally record and update convergences was first proposed by the Greek Cypriot side in January during a meeting between the two leaders attended by the Secretary-General's personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín.
For that reason, he said, the Greek Cypriot side was satisfied that the proposal was now moving forward.
No to blame game
He also dismissed efforts to engage in a blame game over responsibility for the failure to implement specific confidence-building measures.
"This does not interest us and it is not going to offer us anything," he said.
Asked whether the sides are closer to or further from the position reached at Crans-Montana, Menelaou said the answer would depend on how the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides respond once the recording process is completed.
He argued that if all parties reaffirm the convergences reached before the collapse of the Crans-Montana talks, much of the distance between the sides would already have been bridged.
No negotiations for nine years
Since 2017, he noted, there have been no substantive negotiations that produced new convergences or altered the negotiating framework, making it important to establish an accurate record of where the process ended.
Looking ahead, Menelaou said the Greek Cypriot side remains ready for further meetings whenever necessary and confirmed that contacts are under way to arrange the next meeting between the two leaders.
"This is not a competition over who is more willing or who wants more meetings," he said.
Asked about the prospects for a new expanded conference, Menelaou said the Greek Cypriot side would continue to support efforts to move the process forward.
He said the main obstacle remained Turkey's continued advocacy of a two-state solution, a position that was reiterated following the recent visit of the UN Secretary-General.
Despite the difficulties, Menelaou said the effort would continue.
"We will exhaust every possibility in order for the effort to move forward," he said.
