Substantive discussion on a joint document with the positions of both the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot side on the criteria for territorial adjustments begins on Thursday morning in Mont-Pelerin, Switzerland, where Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci as well as their negotiating teams meet since Monday to discuss territory and all other outstanding issues interdependently.
Mont-Pelerin/Switzerland
The two sides’ negotiators, Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ozdil Nami, exchanged on Wednesday afternoon documents with the positions of each side on the territory criteria. The two leaders, who began discussing the criteria on Wednesday morning, met later in the afternoon and as Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides announced last night, it was decided that the positions of each side are written down in a single document, as happened with all aspects of the Cyprus problem.
According to the Spokesman the positions of the Greek Cypriot side will be written down in blue colour and those of the Turkish Cypriot side in red colour.
Christodoulides said that on Thursday morning substantive discussion begins on the basis of this document, adding that the aim is to reach an agreement on the criteria that will be used in order to draw a map.
Asked if there is enough time until Friday, when the talks are scheduled to conclude, to achieve progress, the spokesman said that if there is the necessary will at the negotiating table then there is sufficient time.
Responding to another question, the spokesman said that discussions in Switzerland are not the end of the road. Asked about the setting of a date for a multilateral conference, he said that President Anastasiades was clear on this issue during his televised press conference before going to Switzerland, reiterating that there must be an agreement on the criteria that will then be used in order to draw a map.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led negotiations since May last year, with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof. Discussions in Mont Pelerin will continue until the 11th of November.
