Additional new ideas are one thing, ideas that reverse existing convergences are something else

AKEL replies to Government Spokesman

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 9 July 2019, Nicosia

The Government spokesman, in a desperate attempt to deny that it was the President himself who proposed his so-called new ideas, is claiming that it was the UN Secretary General who called on the two sides to submit innovative ideas. To substantiate his claim, he refers in a selective way to an extract from the Report of the Secretary General in October 2018. Of course he avoids mentioning that these ideas had been put forth by the President of Republic at the National Council before the Report of the Secretary General had been submitted and indeed AKEL issued a relevant critical statement on 9/10/2018.

Paragraph 27 of the Report of the UN Secretary General, besides the extract being cited by the government spokesman, states that “new ideas may additionally be needed”, obviously having in mind the President’s already tabled ideas. Additional new ideas are one thing, ideas that reverse existing convergences are something else.

The UN Secretary General also states that the sides must agree on the terms of reference with a sense of urgency and before the resumption of comprehensive negotiations. Nowhere does he state that a Crans-Montana type conference must be convened to discuss the notorious new ideas that are blatantly reversing the Guterres Framework, but that negotiations should continue from where they had remained at Crans Montana.