Close to an understanding says spokesman

UN envoy Jane Holl Lute continues her contacts with the two sides on the island, in order to secure the terms of reference that would lead to the resumption of the talks for a solution. Lute met with the leaders, President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci three times since she arrived on the island last week. A new meeting with the President is schedule for Wednesday, 9:15 am local time.

Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said that the meeting with Lute was productive and that as soon as the terms are finalized, an announcement will be made. He said that ''we are close to reaching an understanding on these terms which will then be put before the Secretary General''. He added that the terms will be a text of issues, not in detail, regarding the upcoming talks.

The Spokesman pointed out that the SG, in his report dated September 2017, underlines that during the Crans Montana Conference the summer of 2017 he proposed to the two parties to search for solutions that would take into consideration the fact that the Treaty of Guarantees is not viable. He went on to say that the President himself is making use of these references and puts them forward on the negotiating process. Prodromou also said that the SG is referring, in his report, to the six parameters he presented to the parties on June 30, in Crans Montana. He also said that the previous period a rhetoric had been developed over a paper that was not existent.

Replying to a question as to when the SG will meet the two leaders, the Spokesman said that when the understanding between the two sides is confirmed, Lute will put before the SG a draft paper of the terms and most probably call for a meeting to agree on the next steps and the process to be followed.

In another question as to whether the talks would be resumed right after the terms of reference are agreed or whether we would wait for the ‘’election’’ process in the north, the Government Spokesman said that the President has been trying for the resumption of the stalled dialogue for two years and we have reached a point where there is a positive momentum.