Anastasiades stays focused on getting EU at Geneva table

President Nicos Anastasiades delved extensively into the substantive role the EU has to play at upcoming Cyprus peace processes during a teleconference convened Friday by the European Council President Charles Michel with EU leaders.

A written statement issued by government spokesman Kyriakos Koushos said the teleconference, held in preparation for the European Council scheduled to take place on March 25-26 in Brussels, was also attended by the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

During the discussion, the heads of state presented their positions and exchanged views on all issues on the agenda of the forthcoming EUCO, which include the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean region in light of broader EU-Turkey relations, European efforts for a collective response to the pandemic and particularly the EU joint vaccination strategy and the adoption of the digital green pass, issues relating to the Single Market, Industrial Policy, Digital Transformation and the Economy, and EU-Russia relations.

Addressing the meeting, Anastasiades referred extensively to the essential role that the EU has to play at the informal five-party meeting to be convened by the UN in Geneva on April 27-29. The Cypriot President stressed the need for Turkey to adopt the Greek Cypriot side’s constructive stance and to cease actions that violate the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign rights on land and sea, referring particularly to the re-opening of Varosha in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions. 

Anastasiades also conveyed the position that any discussion on a positive agenda between the EU and Turkey should be held at the European Council next June and should depend on the behaviour to be shown by Turkey in the meantime with regard to both its relations with Turkey and the Cyprus problem.  

Further, Anastasiades stressed the need for Turkey to fully comply with its obligations on immigration, highlighting the disproportionate burden that the Republic of Cyprus has to bear as a front-line EU Member State due to mass migration flows.