The President needs to convince in practice of his unwavering commitment to a solution of bi-zonal, bi-communal federation
Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou on the Cyprus problem
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 13th January 2021, Nicosia
It is obvious that the United Nations are reflecting on the situation surrounding the Cyprus problem and its prospects, a fact that is reflected in the draft Report of the UN Secretary General which has been released.
This reflection and hesitation on the part of the United Nations is a result of the prolonged absence of negotiations on the Cyprus problem, but also of the differences between the positions of the two sides, particularly after the assumption of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community by Ersin Tatar with his well-known positions in favour of partition. The truth, of course, is that the Greek Cypriot side has not convinced the Secretary General of the UN of its readiness to proceed in the way he himself has asked and points out in recent years.
In view of the informal five-party meeting, the President of the Republic needs to convince in practice of his unwavering commitment to the solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality as set out in the Resolutions of the UN, and of his readiness for a resumption of substantive negotiations from the point where they had remained at Crans Montana on the basis of the convergences agreed so far and the Guterres Framework.
AKEL, with the proposal it has submitted to the President, shows in a concrete way how he himself could build credibility and convince that he means what he says. It also shows how the prospect of resuming substantive negotiations could be strengthened.
