The President of
the Republic, MrNicosAnastasiades, held a meeting yesterday with the UN
Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki Moon, on the sidelines of the
4th EU-Africa
Summit, which takes place in Brussels. Following the meeting, President
Anastasiades made the following statement to the Press:
“The meeting was
held in a particularly friendly and absolutely constructive climate. I
explained to the Secretary-General the course of the dialogue so far and the
problems we are facing, without engaging, of course, in a blame game process.
What I have elaborated on were the divergences observed, even with regard to
the Joint Communiqué.
At the same time
I reiterated that substantive Confidence Building Measures will contribute
significantly to changing the atmosphere and giving a boost the dialogue
dynamic.
I did not omit
to repeat that it is of outmost importance for all actors to understand,
especially our compatriots as well as the United Nations, how helpful will be the
upgraded role the EU has to play, since the desirable solution of the Cyprus
problem is nothing more than the transformation of the Republic of Cyprus to a
federal state, but at the same time, to a state which shall also be a full
member of the EU.
I have to admit
that the Secretary-General, who appeared to be fully aware of the problems,
showed understanding. My intention was to correct impressions created by
statements that do not correspond to reality, without this meaning that a
negative attitude is being conveyed on our part too. We are at the initial
stages of the dialogue, with proposals being submitted at the moment, a
procedure which has not been concluded yet. Asecondstagewillfollow, duringwhicha
detailed review of the proposals of each side will take place, and of course,
if, according to plan, a solution appears to be within reach, probably a third
and last phase of the dialogue will follow, what we call ‘give-and-take’.”
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