Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said the Greek Cypriot delegation would be going to Geneva for next week’s UN conference looking for a positive outcome in the resumption of peace talks.
The informal summit on the Cyprus problem, also involving Greece, Turkey, and the UK, takes place in Geneva on April 27-29.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and his negotiating team will go to Switzerland, with various scenarios based on a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution.
Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots say they seek a different dynamic in Cyprus negotiations by demanding a two-state solution.
Anastasiades will also fly to Athens on Wednesday to hold discussions with the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ahead of the Geneva meeting.
“We are just one week before going to Geneva for this crucial meeting,” said Christodoulides.
“For us, a positive outcome would be the resumption of substantive talks from where they were suspended in Crans-Montana, with the sole aim of achieving a bizonal, bicommunal federation,” he added.
Christodoulides dismissed any discussion that would be allowed on a two-state scenario for Cyprus.
“We will do our utmost to have a positive outcome.
“We will not enter into any discussion related to changing the format of a Cyprus settlement. Whether this concerns two states or a confederation, it is not up for discussion”.
Christodoulides underlined the need to use what has already been achieved during the negotiating process, saying many convergences were achieved for the first time.
However, among the sticking points are power-sharing (a de-centralized federation), security and guarantees, territorial issues, and property rights.
Christodoulides said that these are crucial chapters, and the President will go to Geneva with concrete arguments.
Decades of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.
The last round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana collapsed in acrimony.
There have no peace talks since then.
The UN Secretary-General invited all parties involved to attend an informal five-plus-one meeting on the Cyprus issue to see if there was common ground to resume talks.
