The President
of the Republic received
the new UN
Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus
The President of
the Republic Mr Nicos Anastasiades received today, at the
Presidential Palace, the new UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser
on Cyprus, Mr Espen Barth Eide.
After his
meeting with the President of the Republic, the UN official told
reporters that “I am really honored to be given this assignment by
the UN Secretary General. It is a very important assignment at a
pivotal moment for Cyprus and also for the broader region.
I met the
Secretary General exactly 24 hours ago in New York. That was my last
meeting before I came here, and my two first meetings are with his
Excellency Mr Anastasiades and then I will go straight to see his
Excellency Mr Eroglu later today. And that will be my inaugural
meeting with the two sides.”
He added that “I
am hoping to develop a close working relationship with both sides and
that I can encourage them and everybody else involved in thinking
about the need to move ahead. And I come with a very strong personal
mandate from the Secretary General who really wants to see that we
are now moving ahead, building on the achievement that was made in
the joint declaration of 11 February.”
Asked if he
brings any ideas in helping things move forward, Mr Eide said that
“the talks may not have gone as one expected when the joint
declaration was made and that is why I am here. I do have some ideas,
but I should share them with the leaders first.”
With regard to a
future meeting between the leaders he said that “I am now raising
the issue with the two leaders,” adding that when he concludes his
meetings with both leaders then he will be able to draw conclusions
on that issue.
He added that
“it is proper to listen, and learn and get to know the people I am
working with,” noting that he will be back in Cyprus probably
before October. “I am based in Geneva,” he said pointing out that
he will be able to come to Cyprus on a very short notice.
He pointed out
that the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus
Mrs Lisa Buttenheim “will be running business on a day to day
basis,” adding that he will be as engaged as he can “when there
is movement and when I see that I can be helpful.”
Asked
if he has any concerns given the fact that the Cyprus problem is a
difficult one, he said that, although there is no comparison to the
Cyprus problem, he referred to his country that had a dispute with a
big neighbor in the east over maritime delineation for 40 years “and
we thought it was unsolvable and became part of us, and suddenly we
solved it a few years ago. It was a very good feeling. So, problems
you think can’t be solved, can be solved if there is will and
sometimes that will has to develop in the community, has to develop
among the leaders, but with some help from outside it may come
sooner. I
will do my best.”
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