The leaders of the island’s divided communities agreed on Wednesday to intensify reunification talks with meetings twice a week.
“The two leaders decided to start meeting twice a week, beginning on June 17, 2016, working to resolve the remaining outstanding issues in an agreed structured manner,” a joint statement issued by the UN said.
The Turkish Cypriot leader said they will be meeting every Tuesday and Friday.
Wednesday’s was the first meeting between President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci following events in an international meeting in Istanbul.
Anastasiades left early from the meeting held two weeks ago when Akinci turned up unexpectedly, and also met UNSG Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines.
Anastasiades also cancelled scheduled meetings he had that week with both Akinci and UN Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide.
Speaking after Wednesday’s meeting, Anastasiades said the matter should be considered closed, adding that “in general we should all acknowledge that no problems must be generated by either of the two sides which could put in doubt, undermine or in any way jeopardise the existing situation.”
The president said there was hope to resolve the matter by the end of the year if the intensified talks created more convergences or if there was the will to that end.
“I must say that it was a creative meeting during which we looked into the methodology, but at the same time it was decided to intensify the negotiations,” Anastasiades said.
He added that talks during each meeting would have a specific agenda “so as to have a more intensive consultation on outstanding issues in a bid to achieve the sought convergences.”
The president said it had been agreed to record the issues on which the two sides disagreed and talks would focus on those aspects “to show whether we can finally achieve a comprehensive solution as soon as possible”.
Anastasiades said if the intensified talks led to more convergences and given that there is a will, then there is not just hope, but the certainty of a solution, as long as each side realises that “what we are seeking is nothing more than what has been agreed as the basis of the talks and the solution.”
Akinci said the Turkish Cypriot side was not seeking a confederate solution, adding that it was not right to claim that some of its views were geared towards that direction.
“Because we know that on this island it is possible to create a federal, bi-zonal, bi-communal, federation based on political equality,” he said.
Akinci said his side knew a confederal solution could not be done, but the Greek Cypriot side must also refrain unitary state approaches because it was not going to happen in Cyprus.
“We will found a unified state, a united federal Cyprus,” he said. The federation will consist of two constituent states whose powers, and the powers of the federal government, will be the issues discussed by the leaders during their meeting on June 17.
