Nicosia waiting on UN moves to resume Cyprus talks

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President Nicos Anastasiades says he expects to be informed of a clear pathway to resuming Cyprus talks when UN envoy Jane Holl Lute revisits later this month after the deadlock in Geneva.

Anastasiades said he is waiting to hear what the UN are willing to do to find common ground when the Turkish side insists on a two-state solution.

He told reporters on Sunday: “I expect to hear what the UN are willing to do…to determine the framework and the common ground be based on international law and the Secretary-General’s mandate.”

Asked if another five-party Cyprus summit will take place while Turkey is opening up fenced-off Varosha, Anastasiades said: “This will become clear by the positions and the actions of the Turkish and the Turkish Cypriot side.”

He said Nicosia would engage in talks “based on what has been agreed, UN resolutions, the Secretary-General’s mandate”.

“To proceed to a fruitful dialogue so that we can live together peacefully, with political equality and respect of human rights.”

On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, which had been a no-go military zone, despite international condemnation.

Construction work is ongoing in the area.

UN special envoy Lute is expected in Cyprus later this month.

Lute held contacts in May with the three guarantor powers Greece, Turkey, the UK, and the EU.

“The truth is that at the end of our efforts, we have not yet found enough common ground to allow for the resumption of formal negotiations,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a news conference in Geneva after a three-day summit in April.

“As you can imagine, this was not an easy meeting,” he said.

Guterres said the UN would make a fresh attempt in “probably two or three months”.