President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman met on Thursday for their final face-to-face discussions before a crucial week of Cyprus-related diplomacy in New York.
Speaking before departing from the Presidential Palace, Christodoulides said he was entering the meeting with a positive approach and planned to present 19 specific points for discussion, covering the substance of the Cyprus issue, negotiating methodology and confidence-building measures (CBMs).
According to the president, the meeting is believed to be the 11th between the two leaders since last October, while their negotiators have held 16 meetings during the same period.
Critical week ahead
Commenting on remarks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres that significant work remains to be done on the Cyprus issue, Christodoulides agreed that considerable effort is still required but expressed confidence that progress is possible if sufficient political will exists.
He described the coming week as critical, particularly in light of the contacts and meetings scheduled around the UN General Assembly in New York.
Ready for broader discussions
Christodoulides said he will meet UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín during the first days of his visit and reiterated that the Greek Cypriot side remains ready to participate in broader formats should the United Nations deem them necessary.
"We are fully prepared, if the Secretary-General considers it appropriate, beyond a bilateral meeting, to participate in discussions at a trilateral level or even at an expanded conference," he said.
The president stressed that the Greek Cypriot side is prepared to remain in New York for additional days, travel there again at a later stage or attend talks in Geneva if that would assist efforts to advance the process.
Contact with EU envoy
Christodoulides also revealed that he spoke by telephone earlier on Thursday with Johannes Hahn, the European Union's special envoy for the Cyprus issue.
According to the president, Hahn has already begun taking initiatives, particularly in relation to EU-Turkey relations, which Nicosia considers an important element of the broader diplomatic effort.
Mixed marriages issue
Asked about the issue of mixed marriages, Christodoulides said he does not regard it as a confidence-building measure.
He added that the Republic of Cyprus continues to apply the existing regulations governing applications for Cypriot citizenship to all individuals who submit requests.
'Political will is missing'
Regarding the possibility of a trilateral meeting or a broader conference in New York, Christodoulides said the key issue is not the timing or venue of any future talks.
"We believe the necessary groundwork exists to move forward with an expanded conference," he said.
"What is missing, in my view, is the political will."
The meeting between Christodoulides and Erhürman is being closely watched as both sides prepare for a new round of international contacts that could help determine whether momentum can be generated for further movement on the Cyprus issue.
