Anastasiades expects Turkish Cypriots to show willingness for talks

President Nicos Anastasiades will express his readiness to resume settlement talks during his informal dinner with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

And he hopes the Turkish Cypriot side will also demonstrate the necessary political will in order to re-engage in negotiations for a Cyprus solution.

But for this to happen Turkey needs to terminate all "illegal and provocative actions", government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou told reporters Wednesday.

“We stand at a critical juncture. Our effort at the dinner next Monday is to start our dialogue again, after stating the willingness of our side to resume negotiations from where they were left off,” Prodromou said.

Asked about the issues the two leaders are going to discuss during dinner, next Monday, he said that discussion might also involve the decision for the opening of crossings in Dherynia and Lefka - an agreement made almost three years ago.

Despite the fact that there has been some progress in getting the crossings operational, the matter requires the decision of both leaders, Prodromou said while noting that the process is “on track”.

Political party leaders will meet on Thursday afternoon with the President, in order to exchange views ahead of the April 16 dinner hosted by the UN in Nicosia.

“It will be an opportunity [for the President] to get their views before attending dinner with the Turkish Cypriot leader."

Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-backed negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem since 2015.

The last round of peace talks took place in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana but failed to yield any results while the process has remained deadlocked. Anastasiades and Akinci have not met face-to-face since then.

UN-sponsored reunification talks aim at reuniting Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion, under a federal roof.