London Greek Radio

Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras said Friday the argument against the continuation of the system of guarantees in Cyprus was met with understanding on the part of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande, during separate meetings they held in Brussels.

Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras

Speaking after the conclusion of the European Council, Tsipras said that “I discussed the issue with President François Hollande and Angela Merkel, and met absolute understanding”. He went on to say that a viable solution to the problem can not provide for the presence of Turkish troops on the island.

In response to a question by CNA, Tsipras also reiterated the Greek position, that the framework of guarantees in Cyprus is anachronistic and needs to be abolished.

According to the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, Greece was one of the guarantor powers in Cyprus, the other two being Turkey and the UK.

The Greek Premier added that he had a positive conversation with the British Prime Minister Theresa May, who told him that her country will not request guarantor rights, if the issue is not raised by other parties.

Speaking on the issue of migration, Tsipras expressed satisfaction over Council conclusions, that target smugglers and aim to substitute illegal flows with legal ones. He was firm, however, on the issue of visa liberalization for Turkish citizens, which he said will happen only through the implementation of all criteria by Ankara, with no exception for any member state, including Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. Peace talks are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that will reunite the country, under a federal roof.

Ban Ki moon’s Special Envoy Espen Barth Eide said on Monday that it is clear that territory chapter in UN peace talks for a Cyprus solution will soon have to be discussed and possibly before we go into at least the full-fledged discussions on security.

UNSG Special Envoy Espen Barth Eide (L) – T/C Leader Mustafa Akinci (M) – Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades (R)

Speaking to the press after a meeting he had with President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades and asked whether it is clear that territory will not be discussed with the chapters of guarantees and security, Eide said that at least one side and increasingly both sides “also recognise that we have to find the right modalities for that discussion, because that discussion is somewhat different than the discussion on governance“.

Eide, who met with President Anastasiades in view of the new round of intensified talks to start on Tuesday, pointed out that the issue of territorial exchange affects ordinary people in a slightly different way than i.e the quotas in the central Bank board.

“Both issues are important, but we have to respect that and find a way to discuss it (territorial), which also connects with other issues in an appropriate manner and also both sides can feel that we are ready for the final discussion“, Eide said.

Invited to comment on opinions expressed about discussing the issue of territory abroad, SG Special Envoy said that the two leaders will meet tomorrow and they are committed to create the space, “both physical and more in a mental sense”, to be able to deal with issues which are so sensitive.

“Where exactly that will happen I think I will leave it to them to decide and announce. This is a leader led process. I keep insisting on that, is actually led by the leaders and nobody else, not by me, not by Ban Ki-moon, not by anyone else in the island, is led by the leaders and if this is going to work, we have to respect the leader led nature of the process“, he underlined.

Eide also said that thankfully, Cypriots have two leaders, Anastasiades and Akinci who want this to work, adding however that they both represent communities with divergence of views “and they have to represent different views that exist in their communities“.

“But my strong sense, confirmed today, is that they are in it for real and they try to solve this without any unnecessary loss of time“, he said.

Eide described his meeting with President Anastasiades as long and substantive, adding that we need now to focus on how we organise the coming days and weeks in the process.

He said that during the meeting UNSG had with both leaders in NYC on September 25th , they both presented a very similar picture to the SG of where we are, what has been achieved and what remains to be done “and they recommitted to their noble goal of seeking a settlement if possible at the end of this year“.

“But we still have to agree on how we sequence things and how we organise the coming days and weeks“, he said.

He said that during the leaders` meeting tomorrow, a plan will be decided as regards the meetings to follow, saying that there will be frequent meetings in October “in order to try to overcome those issues which are closed“.

According to Eide, the commitment is clearly there, pointing out that he heard it again from President Anastasiades today and he knows that the same goes for T/c leader Mustafa Akinci.

He said that in any peace process there are challenges of last mile or last miles, “which is when you see that a settlement is actually within reach, you also know that in order to get there you have to make some further agreements, concessions and in order to do that you really need to make sure that you have the right setting for doing it“.

“I think that is very much what we will discuss tomorrow and in the subsequent meetings, we will then start discussing issue by issue and try actually close them down so that we can move into the important issues of territory and eventually security, in an appropriate manner in Cyprus or wherever else, but as the leaders agree“, Eide said.

Anastasiades and Akinci embark on a new round of intensified talks tomorrow, under the aegis of the UN, with the aim to reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has invited British Prime Minister Teresa May to visit Cyprus.

British PM Theresa May (L) – Cyprus President Nicos Ansatasiades (R)

According to a Downing Street spokesperson, President Anastasiades, during his meeting with May in London on Tuesday, “updated the Prime Minister on efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus. The Prime Minister underlined the UK’s steadfast support for the process and said the UK stood ready to help bring this to a successful conclusion”.

The spokesperson also said they discussed Brexit and May “made clear that the British people had voted to leave the EU and the Government would deliver that – there would be no going back. The PM emphasised that while the UK is leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe and we would want to maintain strong relations with European countries and the EU once the UK has left”.

“Finally, the Prime Minister thanked the President for his kind invitation to visit Cyprus and said that she hoped to have the opportunity to do so in the future”, he added.

President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are engaged in intensive peace talks to find a negotiated settlement that would reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades briefed the expatriates in London on the course of Cyprus peace talks, reiterating once again his determination to keep the efforts for a solution.

Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain (R) – President Anastasiades (M) – NFC President Christos Caraolis (R)

The President attended a dinner in north London on Monday evening, organised in his honour by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK.

President Anastasiades said he was determined to carry on working for a solution to the decades-long problem that would end the division of the island, with a negotiated settlement which would be “viable and workable and will the concerns of both (Greek and Turkish Cypriot) communities.”

“I am determined to work for a settlement of the Cyprus issue. But a settlement that meets – and I stress this – the expectations and the concerns of the Greek Cypriots. I will not disregard the concerns of the Turkish Cypriots, but I will not overestimate false concerns of the Turkish Cypriots at the expense of Greek Cypriots”, the President pointed out.

President Anastasiades praised the contribution of the populous Cypriot community in the UK, expressing his “admiration” over the persistent way in which they strive for better days for Cyprus, “beyond any personal ambition.”

He also made a special reference to the presence of many young NEPOMAK (overseas young Cypriots’ federation) members at the event, and he paid tribute to the recently deceased Chris Lazari, a distinguished member of the UK Cypriot community.

In his welcome address, the President of the Federation Christos Karaolis congratulated the President of the Republic for his “insistence, patience and determination” to settle the Cyprus issue. He also praised President Anastasiades for his “undogmatic” work in methodically and systematically establishing international cooperations and alliances to safeguard the Republic of Cyprus’s interests.

Karaolis pledged , on behalf of the UK Cypriot community, to keep demanding that the British MPs and the UK Government fulfil their country’s obligations towards Cyprus, working towards the end of the Turkish occupation and contributing towards a negotiated settlement.

The dinner attendees also presented President Anastasiades with a birthday cake in the shape of Cyprus, on the occasion of his 70th birthday (27 September).

Mr Anastasiades will visit the Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain on Tuesday afternoon, before meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in 10 Downing Street.

He will then fly to Paris, where on Wednesday he will be received by President Hollande.

Concerns relating to the humanitarian issue of missing persons was the focus of a meeting between Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou and UK High Commissioner Matthew Kidd, on Monday, during which Photiou asked for help in order to exert pressure on Turkey to contribute to its resolution.

Photiou, an official press release says, noted that it is “unacceptable and inhumane for the families of missing persons to wait for decades to find out what has happened to their loved ones or to receive one bone out of their remains and to be asked to consider that this constitutes full information of what has become of them.”

The two men also discussed matters relatiang to the enclaved (Greek Cypriots living in northern Turkish occupied Cyprus).

On his part, the press release concludes, Kidd assured that his country will continue to contribute to the ongoing efforts to resolve the tragic problem of missing persons.

Hundreds of people from the island`s two communities have been listed as missing. Most Greek Cypriot have been missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot missing hail from 1974 as well as inter-communal fighting in the early 1960s.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN brokered talks resumed in May 2015 aiming to reunite the island under a federal roof.

A Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) was established in April 1981 by agreement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities under the auspices of the United Nations.

In 2006, the climate was ripe for the CMP to begin excavations and exhumations on both sides of the island. In order to provide the required expertise, archaeologists and anthropologists from the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) were brought in to coordinate and train a bi-communal team of Cypriot scientists involved in exhumations and anthropological analysis. An anthropological laboratory was set-up in the United Nations Protected Area in Nicosia, according to the CMP website.

Since 2008, the CMP’s bi-communal forensic team has been carrying out exhumations autonomously (up to 8 teams in the northern part of the island and 2 teams in the southern part). EAAF forensic experts continue to be involved in the project for quality control purposes.

So far, out of the 1508 Greek Cypriots missing, 499 individuals have been identified and returned to their families for proper burial. As far as the Turkish Cypriots are concerned, out of 493 listed as missing, 181 persons have been identified and returned to their next of kin.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has said that when there is the will, there is the way and the time to find a negotiated settlement by the end of the year.

At the same time, the President pointed out that conditions at the negotiations must not be such that could act as a deterrent to the peace effort, instead of leading to a positive outcome, adding that “if we are led to conferences when circumstances are not ripe, they will not yield the result we are seeking.”

“I expect everybody to show commitment to our objective and be ready to respect the concerns of each of the two communities in Cyprus. We have already done this. There are some issues which continue to be very sensitive for the Greek Cypriot community and I expect that mutual understanding will give us the opportunity, through creative ideas, to find a way out,” he told the press replying to questions after a meeting in New York on Sunday afternoon with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The meeting, which lasted about 20 minutes, was also attended by Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Nicos Emiliou, the Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides and Ban’s Special Advisor on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide.

The President said he had a comprehensive and creative meeting with the Secretary General.

He said at first they talked about the agenda of the General Assembly and assured Ban that Cyprus will, by the end of the year, complete the ratification of the agreement on climate change.

Referring to the Cyprus problem, he said they talked about the state of play in the UN-facilitated peace talks, currently underway between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities with a view to reuniting the country, which has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

“We talked about the current phase of the negotiations, with great impartiality and far from any blame game,” Anastasiades told the press, noting that he explained to Ban where things stand, saying that there are still pending issues that need to be addressed.

“I stressed the need for everybody to be particularly careful not to create any circumstances which may, instead of leading us to a positive result, prove to be a deterrent to our efforts for a solution,” the President said, adding that “If we do not focus on the substance and the concerns that exist, we might be led to conferences which, should they prove to be premature, will not yield the results we want to achieve.”

The President said that he was pleased to have found “absolute understanding” from the Secretary General about everything he had outlined during their meeting, in the presence of his advisor Eide.

Asked if he handed Ban any document with the views of the Greek Cypriot side and the six negotiating chapters, he replied “this will be done at the right time.”

In his remarks, the President clarified that the Secretary General did not hear anything “unpleasant” from him.

“The Secretary General did not hear anything unpleasant apart from the reality of the situation and the reality does not mean it is unpleasant. There are difficulties and that is why everybody, if they want to help find a solution in Cyprus, must focus on the actual difficulties so that all sides show understanding to the concerns of each other. Especially those that have an important role to play, (concerns) which led the Greek Cypriot community to reject the Annan plan (a UN-proposed solution plan),” in 2004 the President stressed.

Replying to questions, he said “what we are seeking is to continue the fruitful and constructive efforts in order to find a comprehensive solution.”

Asked if he believes that there is enough time to find a solution by the end of the year, he replied: “When there is the will, there is the way and the time.”

Unless substantive progress is achieved on pending issues, no multilateral conference can take place, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has stressed.

President Anastasiades (L) – UN Secretary General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide (M) – Turkish Cypriot Leader Mustafa Akinci (R)

In statements on Wednesday, returning to the Presidential Palace after the last meeting he held with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in the framework of one more intensified round of Cyprus talks, the President said that at the Cyprus talks, significant convergences have been achieved in cores issues, but there are still important differences on other matters.
He also expressed the conviction that if the Turkish Cypriot side acts like the Greek Cypriot side and demonstrates understanding as regards the Greek Cypriot side`s concerns, there is prospect to succeed.

Asked about the meeting he will hold in New York with the UNSG and the Turkish Cypriot leader, on the 25th of September, he said that the UNSG will be briefed on the progress achieved so far, the pending differences at the negotiating table as well as `on the more active involvement of all in an intensified effort so that to achieve as soon as possible those convergences that could lead us to a solution, acceptable by all parties`.

As far as the next steps is concerned, the President said that most probably, the leaders will continue their intensified talks.

“As mentioned in the joint statement, our intention is to take advantage of the coming months to succeed. As ambitious as it may seem it can become possible, if there is mutual understanding about the concerns of both communities, especially on sensitive issues that concern the Greek Cypriot side, “he said.

Replying to a question whether he is more optimistic after the conclusion of the latest round of intensified talks, the President said that this will depend on the differences that still remain.

He explained that if the Turkish Cypriot side acts like the Greek Cypriot side and demonstrates understanding as regards the Greek Cypriot side`s concerns, there is prospect to succeed.

Asked if there is a road map and if pressure is exerted by the international community, he said that there is no pressure and no intention to exert pressure, and added that if no substantive progress is achieved on the outstanding issues – which are many – so to justify a multilateral conference, this will not happen, no matter who intervenes or who wants to exert pressure, noting that there is no such intention so far.

As regards the press release issued earlier today in which there is reference to a more active role of the UNSG, the President stressed that this reference does not imply any arbitration role on behalf of the UNSG. The President pointed out that the press release notes that the Cyprus talks is a procedure led by the leaders of the two communities of Cyprus.

The content of the press release, he said, reflects the reality at the Cyprus talks, adding that significant convergences have been achieved in cores issues, but there are still important differences on other matters.

Asked if he feels strong enough `given the climate of division in the domestic front`, he said that he does not share the view that there is division in the domestic front, adding that `I am interested in the unity that must prevail between us` and noted that he needs the responsible stance of the political leaders in the next phase of the Cyprus talks.

He also said that when he returns from the US he will give a press conference to inform the people of Cyprus about the latest developments.

Finally, replying to questions he said that US Vice President Joe Biden will be among the officials he is scheduled will meet in New York.

President Anastasiades will brief this afternoon the National Council, the top advisory body to the President as regards the Cyprus issue, on the latest developments at the Cyprus talks.

Leaders want to see UN SG becoming even more directly involved, says Eide 

UN Secretary General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide has said the two leaders, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, want to see that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon becomes even more directly involved in the Cyprus reunification process in the coming months.

Eide who was replying to journalists` questions after the last meeting the two leaders held on Wednesday in the context of an intensified round of talks also said that in a meeting with Ban Ki-moon on September 25, in New York, all aspects of a Cyprus settlement would be discussed including financing. He did not wish to comment further however on what the framework of such financing could be.

Replying to a question on the possibility of reaching a solution by the end of 2016 he said that “it`s ambitions but possible” and did not wish to comment further, referring to the joint statement to the press issued by the two leaders he had read moments ago.

Asked what will happen in New York on September 25, he said that there will be a meeting with the SG Ban Ki-moon, the two leaders, myself and the core teams from all sides and we will discuss exactly what was said in the statement, which is the state of play and the way ahead.”

Asked in what ways could Ban Ki-moon intensify his support he said “by becoming even more directly engaged in the coming months.”

Replying to a question whether there will be multilateral meeting in the agenda of the meeting, Espen Barth Eide said that “what we will discuss with the SG will become known to the Secretary General when the meeting is being held and then maybe we can say something after that.”

But the commitment, he added, “is to have a serious meeting, well prepared from all three sides, the two sides here and the UN, to discuss where we are in this process.”

He spoke of how committed Ban Ki-moon is to the process, pointing out that “he is very committed, very supportive, as you saw in his statement only a few days ago when he mentioned that there are two signs of hope in the world, Colombia and Cyprus, in the same sentence.”

He is committed, he said, adding that the leaders “want to see that he becomes even more directly involved in the coming months.”

Asked whether they will also discuss the financial aspect of the solution he replied “absolutely.”

Replying to an additional question about a possible donors meeting Eide said “we will definitely discuss everything which includes of course the financing and that obviously also means that we have to discuss the modalities by which we ensure economic support”. In what kind of form, meeting or framework I have no comment, he concluded.

Article written by CNA

Joint Statement to the Press on behalf of the Greek Cypriot leader Mr. Nicos Anastasiades and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Mustafa Akıncı
Wednesday, 14th September 2016

Turkish Cypriot Leader Mustafa Akinci (L) – President Anastasiades (R)

Today, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mustafa Akınci, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, completed an intensive phase of eight meetings.

In addition to holding substantive discussions on a number of issues, the leaders today took stock of the process after sixteen months of negotiations, into which a very significant amount of work, time and effort have been invested.

1. The leaders reiterated that they remain determined to do their utmost to reach a comprehensive settlement as described in the joint statement of 11th February 2014.

2. All chapters are being discussed interdependently.

3. Significant progress has been achieved on many of the outstanding issues on the Chapters of Governance and Power-Sharing, Economy, the EU matters and Property. However, certain substantial divergences still remain.

The two leaders also exchanged views and positions, in a brainstorming manner, on the Chapters of Security and Guarantees, as well as Territory. Although these initial exchanges have demonstrated that the respective views remain apart, there is a strong determination to resolve them in a mutually acceptable manner.

Cognizant of the remaining challenges, the two leaders are committed to continuing and intensifying their efforts in these leader-led negotiations in the coming months with the aim of reaching a comprehensive settlement agreement within 2016.

For this purpose, the two leaders will hold a joint meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 25th September, in New York. They will take stock of the state of play in the negotiations, inform him of their achievements to date as well as of the challenges ahead. They will exchange views with him and will request him to intensify his personal engagement in the process in the months to come.

The monastery of Apostle Andreas, in the Turkish occupied Karpass peninsula, will be delivered to the pilgrims next month.

Greek Cypriot co-chairman of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, Takis Hadzidemetriou told CNA on Monday that the first phase of the restoration of the once derelict monastery is near completion and the monastery will be handed over to the Committee chairmen on 20th October, during a grand ceremony. The saint`s feast day is celebrated on 30th November.

The icons were thoroughly cleaned and the inside of the church and the pulpit have been completed, said Hadzidemetriou and the project will be handed over to the Committee during a ceremony on 20th October at the monastery courtyard.

On 17 September 2013 UNDP-PFF signed two contribution agreements worth € 2.5 million euro each, respectively with the Church of Cyprus and the Evkaf Administration (responsible for Turkish Cypriot properties) for the Restoration of the Apostolos Andreas Monastery.

The restoration of the monastery, according to UNDP, intends to contribute to the on-going confidence building process between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots within the context of cultural heritage preservation and protection. The overall restoration of the Monastery will take place in four phases.

The icons were kept at a temporary hall which was turned into a chapel for pilgrims and is under the watchful eye of Father Zacharias Georgiou, who has been looking after the monastery, to the extent that he could, since the 1974 Turkish occupation.

The Monastery is situated on the north-eastern point of the island, bears the name of Apostle Andreas. A landmark for the faithful Greek Cypriots who would often travel for up to two days to reach this holy site, the monastery was the victim of neglect since the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of the island`s northern third.

Hadzidemetriou described the completion of the first phase of the project as an extraordinary event and said the people are welcome to attend.

Work on the first phase began in autumn 2014.