President and Turkish Cypriot leader met over dinner

The leaders of the island`s two communities, namely Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, had a frank and open exchange of views during a two hour tête-à-tête discussion at the UNPA in Nicosia, the UN announced.

Anastasiades and Akinci were invited for an informal dinner at the residence of the Deputy Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar. The two leaders arrived at the UNPA at around seven o`clock.
 
According to a written statement by Spehar, ``the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mustafa Akıncı, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, met at the Chief of Mission residence in the United Nations Protected Area.``

``The Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mustafa Akıncı had a frank and open exchange of views during a two hour tête-à-tête discussion. They then proceeded to a dinner with the Deputy Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Ms. Elizabeth Spehar,`` the statement reads.

The leaders have been engaged in UN-backed negotiations with a view to reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. The latest round of peace talks took place in the summer of 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans Montana. The talks ended without any results and since then, the two leaders had no other contact. 

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has not ruled out the possibility of a personal envoy of the UN Secretary General trying to look into the chances of resuming the stalled peace talks.

Speaking to the press after a two-hour long tete a tete meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, the President also said that they had a frank and calm discussion, during which they talked about the problems they are faced with and the prospects of a new dialogue.

"We established the disagreements that exist," he noted.

The President said that he reiterated his readiness to begin negotiations from the point at which the talks ended in July last year in Crans Montana, in Switzerland.

Nobody has ruled out the possibility of the UN Secretary General, if he so wishes, sending a personal envoy in order to examine the chances of resuming the dialogue, which should focus on the UN Secretary General`s parametres as the main issue, he added.

Invited to say whether both sides agreed not to object to the appointment of personal envoy of the UNSG, or proceed as he described earlier, in the sense that there would be a process of sounding out the positions of the two sides, he said, ‘this is not ruled out’.

Asked if there will be a period of preparation or stagnation, he said this depends on the UNSG if and whether he will decide to send an envoy for a fact finding mission.

Invited to say if there was a common ground at the meeting, he said, `if you consider common ground the ascertainment that both sides insist on their positions..`

The President was asked if the Turkish Cypriot leader insisted on setting up a bicommunal committee to deal with matters relating to the exploration and exploitation of Cyprus` natural gas. He said that Akinci raised the issue but knew a priori his position, namely that this is not an issue of discussion, nor is the postponement of Cyprus’ energy program on the table.
 
 The President was also asked if he raised the issue of Turkish provocations in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. He replied that ‘everything has been raised and discussed."

Asked if they discussed about the issue of governance, he said that they referred to existing differences, whether each side insists on its positions, but there was no detailed discussion.
 
Regarding the opening of more crossing points, to facilitate movement to and from the island`s northern Turkish occupied areas, he noted that they said during the meeting that by the 1^st of July the Derynia crossing point will probably be delivered and the Lefka-Apliki crossing point by mid September.
 
Repeated UN-led round of negotiations have yet to lead to an agreement which would reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion, under a federal roof.