The National Council will convene today at 4:00 pm, at the initiative of President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, to receive an update on recent developments in the Cyprus issue.
The briefing follows the President’s meeting on Thursday with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, which took place at the United Nations offices at the old Nicosia airport, with the participation of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín.
Speaking after the meeting, President Christodoulides expressed satisfaction that the discussion focused primarily on the substance of the Cyprus issue, a point also reflected in the statement issued by UNFICYP.
He noted that the date of the informal five-party conference will be determined after Ms Holguín’s forthcoming contacts in Athens and Ankara.
President Christodoulides said that a review of previously discussed confidence-building measures also took place and that the two sides agreed to concentrate on specific issues.
In a statement released by the UN Representative in Cyprus, it was noted that the meeting, which lasted more than three hours and was held under the auspices of Ms Holguín, took place in a positive and friendly atmosphere. According to the statement, the two leaders committed to continuing work towards tangible results for the benefit of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to ensuring the success of the next informal meeting in a broader format.
The UN statement also underlined that both leaders agreed that the ultimate goal remains a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue based on political equality, as described in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Confidence-building measures were described as important for creating a conducive environment, but not as a substitute for achieving a solution.
During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on a wide range of issues, with the aim of fostering a climate conducive to progress and supporting efforts towards a settlement of the Cyprus problem.