AKEL GS on his meetings in London

Statements by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL Andros Kyprianou

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 16 Oct 2018, Nicosia

The meetings were quite wide-ranging and interesting. Of course, it is a fact that everybody is waiting for the resumption of substantive negotiations so that τthe.can play the role that corresponds to each of them.

As far as the meeting with the UK Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Sir Alan Duncan is concerned, we had the possibility of conveying to him our concerns about the growing Turkish provocative behaviour in the region, the threats that are being issued with regards the possible drilling in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus, as well as our concerns about the possible reduction or withdrawal of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) from Cyprus this coming January.

We outlined our concerns also about developments within the Turkish Cypriot community itself, which make the solution of the Cyprus problem increasingly difficult as time goes by. We therefore called on Britain to make its own contribution towards the resumption of negotiations and of course we discussed in particular the issues of security and guarantees which is an extremely important issue for us; an issue which can represent the key to the solution to the Cyprus problem if and provided that Turkey accepts their abolition.

In the House of Commons, we had meetings with two Shadow Ministers of the Labour Party, as well as with a group of MP’s with whom we have had friendly relations over the years. We briefed them about the latest developments and asked for their help in order to promote the Cyprus problem.

I have to say that everyone without exception clarified that for them to be able to play any role the resumption of the negotiations is imperative. Then they can intervene to push things in the correct direction.