The President of the Republic must clearly state a position in favour of the resumption of the negotiations without terms and preconditions
Statement by Eleni Mavrou, AKEL Political Bureau member
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 29 September 2018, Nicosia
It is clear judging from Mr. Anastasiades’ statements yesterday at the seat of the United Nations that the goal of achieving a speedy resumption of the negotiations on the Cyprus problem doesn’t appear to be fulfilled.
We share the President’s reflections about the dangers of time passing by without a solution of the Cyprus problem. The fact that Mr. Anastasiades recognizes these dangers is encouraging. His reference to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus is characteristic.
However, we note that the policy that he has been following for quite some time does not highlight this reflection. We wonder whether even what he said yesterday at his press conference are conveying the correct messages.
For example, his reference to the six-point outline of the UN Secretary-General of 4th July 2017 when the Secretary-General the UN himself refers to the 30th June.
Furthermore, we point out the President’s demand that the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side should submit their positions in written form on the Guterres framework, when the UN Secretary-General himself considers this framework to be given and asks both sides to state their own position as to whether they are ready to continue from the point where they had remained. Anastasiades in any case admits it when he clarifies at the press conference that “the Secretary-General does not discuss at this moment what the six points of the framework he submitted are or are not, but ways that will enable the resumption of the negotiations.”
The President of the Republic must in a very clearly way state a position in favour of the resumption of the negotiations without terms and preconditions, besides those set by the UN Secretary-General himself.
Finally, we expect even belatedly a briefing from the President of the Republic about all that has been said at the seat of the United Nations. We note that Mr. Anastasiades went to New York without any consultation with the political forces. This means that he takes full responsibility for his actions.
