Remarks of the UNSG following the meeting with the
President
of the Republic and the Turkish Cypriot leader, in
Davos
I just had a good meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader,
Mr Nicos Anastasiades, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Mustafa Akıncı, and my
Special Adviser, Mr Espen Barth Eide.
This was my first meeting with both leaders together. It
was a very good opportunity for me to hear directly from them about their
efforts since they resumed negotiations in May 2015.
The leaders and I had a very comprehensive discussion on
the current state-of-play in the Cyprus talks.
I want to commend them for their efforts. Significant
progress has been made in this leader-led process over the past eight months,
demonstrating that with political will, it is possible to reach an understanding
on all issues.
At the same time, it is also clear that a number of
sensitive and difficult issues still remain.
I encouraged the leaders to capitalize on the current
positive momentum. It will be crucial as they move forward to tackle outstanding
issues across the different chapters.
I encouraged Mr Akıncı and Mr Anastasiades to continue
working tirelessly towards finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue
as soon as possible, for the benefit of all Cypriots. I also call on all
interested parties to do their utmost to facilitate and support the leaders in
their quest for overcoming the division of Cyprus.
_____________
21 January
2016
