Meeting with Tatar ‘Yet Another Positive Step’, says Christodoulides

Progress, he said, was made on four out of six topics, while Tatar announced that they would be meeting again before April 20.

The UN issued a statement saying the leaders had agreed to establish a Technical Committee on Youth, to discuss demining, that the Technical Committee on Environment would work on initiatives related to the environment and climate change and would continue discussions on crossing points and solar energy in the buffer zone.

He added that “we are pressing forward” and that “we have started implementing what we promised the secretary-general”.

Christodoulides said the government was waiting for the announcement of the appointment of an envoy, “so that by the next meeting we can achieve the great aim which is no other than the resumption of talks.”

In a joint statement after the meeting, the UN said the leaders “met at their own initiative to follow up on the Geneva informal broader format meeting under the auspices of the secretary-general.”

“The two leaders agreed to establish a Technical Committee on Youth and provide by 15 April to the United Nations a list of members. They agreed that the Committee would have 12 members from each side and that all would be under 35 years of age. They also endeavoured to aim for gender parity,” the UN added.

Furthermore, “the two leaders agreed that the issue of demining would be discussed at the level of the Greek Cypriot negotiator and the Turkish Cypriot special representative and that they would exchange information on a proportional number of suspected hazardous areas from each.”

“They agreed that the Technical Committee on Environment would work on initiatives related to the environment and climate change, including the impacts on mining areas, and that the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage would be tasked to work on the restoration of cemeteries,” the UN said.

It added that “on crossing points and solar energy in the buffer zone, they had a constructive exchange and the leaders tasked their representatives to continue discussions of the issues, with the view to finding a mutually acceptable resolution.”

“The two leaders agreed to meet again soon,” the UN concluded.

After the meeting, Tatar announced a new meeting before April 20.

“We are positive, we want to achieve things and I hope in time we will be able to,” Tatar said.

Tatar said “my friend Nikos has his own principles, I have my own principles, and what is important is that we are able to have an exchange of views so that we can achieve things for both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.”

It is important “to solve it in a reasonable manner”, he added.

Tatar said he submitted his positions “very clearly” and expressed hope that the two sides would continue to do what was best.

Wednesday’s meeting was the first after last month’s expanded meeting in Geneva.

Speaking on departure from the presidential palace for the venue, Christodoulides said he was going to the meeting “with good will, on the basis of what we agreed on with the UN secretary-general, and I hope there will be a response.”

Asked if he was optimistic, Christodoulides said he would be “certainly optimistic” if there was a response from the Turkish Cypriot side.

The meeting was held at the residence of the UN secretary-general’s special representative in Cyprus Colin Stewart, at Nicosia airport in the buffer zone.

The first to arrive was Tatar at 9.10am, followed a minute later by Christodoulides, accompanied by negotiator Menelaos Menelaou.

Stewart welcomed Christodoulides and Tatar and led them to the hall where the meeting would take place.

Before the official commencement of the meeting, the two leaders were photographed with Stewart and the three members of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP), on the occasion of the 1,000th meeting of the committee.

In remarks on Tuesday, Christodoulides said his “one and only goal” at his meeting with Tatar is to achieve results.

Source: Cyprus Mail