The Secretary-General’s report isn’t cause for celebrations and self-vindications, but should be the subject of reflection primarily on what needs to be done
AKEL on the UN Secretary-General’s Report
Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 17 October 2018, Nicosia
The UN Secretary-General’s report isn’t cause for celebrations and self-vindications, but should be the subject of reflection primarily on what needs to be done.
One cannot celebrate when the UN Secretary-General, even after so many months have passed since the failure of the Crans Montana Conference and following the consultations of the Secretary-General’s special envoy on Cyprus Mrs. Lute, hasn’t been convinced that the preconditions for a continuation of the negotiations exist.
The UN Secretary General’s references to the natural gas issue should also provoke reflection, references which indicate that without a solution to the Cyprus problem we will face enormous difficulties. The interpretation the government gave today via the Foreign Minister on the State Radio station that the Secretary-General’s position for dialogue on this specific issue is positive because he means delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone with Turkey, if it doesn’t stem from political considerations, means that the government isn’t taking heed of the messages being conveyed.
The fact that Mr. Guterres is giving a little more time for a continuation of his efforts to resume negotiations is comforting. For the UN Secretary-General, it is clear that the time limits have now shortened and that the procedure of the negotiations, if and provided they begin, wont to be long and endless.
That is why the President of the Republic must focus on the principal issue which is the resumption of the negotiations. Both the meeting with Mrs. Lute and the meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Akinci are an opportunity to promote the prospect of the resumption of the negotiations.
