United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with Cyprus President and the Turkish Cypriot leader and said that there is now an understanding of what is needed for a possible settlement on Cyprus.In a U.N. backed conference that started on June 28 in the Swiss town of Crans-Montana, the two sides try to find a solution to unite Cyprus. The three guarantor powers – Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom – and a European Union observer participate in the talks.
In a statement from his spokesperson, the Secretary-General said he held a “positive, results-oriented meeting” last night with the heads of the delegation, including Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
“A clear understanding emerged of the essential elements of a package that might lead to a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus,” the spokesperson said, adding that the talks are continuing today at the political level.
“The Secretary-General remains fully engaged in these efforts to deliver a comprehensive settlement to the people of Cyprus,” said the spokesperson.
Speaking to reporters, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias expressed his satisfaction for the participation of the U.N. Secretary-General in the talks and praised his contribution to the dialogue.
“Mr. Guterres is a prominent personality on the international stage. I must tell you that I felt fortunate that we could work yesterday in a very good direction for the Cyprus issue,” Kotzias said.
The Greek foreign minister said he is optimistic about the progress of the talks that will continue on Monday, despite Turkey’s insistence to not remove its troops from the northern part of the island.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
