Remarks by the President of the Republic
The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades,
said tonight that he will meet with the Chancellor of Germany, Mrs Angela
Merkel, within the next few days.
In his remarks to reporters at the presentation of a
book by journalist George Kaskanis, in Nicosia, the President of the Republic,
when asked to comment on Mrs Merkel’s statements regarding the opening of
chapters 23 and 24 in Turkey’s EU accession process, said: “I will have a
meeting, within the next few days, with Mrs Merkel during the conference of the
EPP in Madrid and we will discuss about this.
Let me remind you that I had included, since my
election, but also in the proposals I submitted to Mr Eroglu back then, as a
confidence building measure, the opening of the ports of Turkey (to Cypriot
ships), in essence the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, in order for the
obstacles that dictated the application of a veto by the Cypriot side, to be
lifted. I do not think that a similar issue is posed at this moment”.
In response to a question, President Anastasiades said
that “I am certain that Mrs Merkel will try to convince Turkey about all that I
have mentioned”.
