Annita, Slovakia’s Pellegrini discuss Cyprus problem

House President Annita Demetriou and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini on Monday discussed the Cyprus problem, among other matters, as Demetriou visited Bratislava. Demetriou said after the meeting that “I briefed him on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus problem and expressed by appreciation for Slovakia’s longstanding principled stance”. Additionally, she said, she had thanked him for Slovakia’s “participation in the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus and … contribution to efforts for peace and stability in our country”. “We share the conviction that dialogue, diplomacy, and respect for international law constitute the only path for resolving differences regarding all the issues we are called upon to manage,” she said. Related Articles • Erhurman criticises Christodoulides over failed tripartite talks • Letymbiotis: citizenship for mixed-marriage children not a CBM • Holguin: Window of opportunity is closing for Cyprus • Erhurman meets Guterres, denies rejecting tripartite meeting • Greek Cypriots ask New York diplomats to ‘refrain’ from meeting Turkish Cypriots • Erdogan tells Burnham of need for ‘equal international status’ for Turkish Cypriots Away from the matter of the Cyprus problem, she said that she and Pellegrini had discussed “the European dimension” and “the importance of cooperation and mutual support between the two countries on matters of principle and shared priorities within the European Union”. “Further strengthening relations between Cyprus and Slovakia can create new opportunities for cooperation for the benefit of both peoples,” she said. Slovak peacekeepers are responsible for Sector Four of the UN buffer zone in Cyprus, which stretches from the east of Nicosia to the island’s east coast, with the exception of the British Dhekelia base, which acts as the de facto buffer zone between the villages of Pyla and Strovilia. The Slovak embassy in Nicosia also organises regular meetings of representatives of political parties from both sides of Cyprus’ divide at the Ledra Palace hotel in Nicosia’s buffer zone. Demetriou lamented lack of results at UN general assembly Last week, Demetriou had lamented that “we do not have the result we would have wanted after the United Nations general assembly”, with the island’s two sides having ended the general assembly week further apart than when it started. This lack of progress prompted UN Cyprus problem envoy Maria Angela Holguin to warn that “it is clear that the favourable window of opportunity we had throughout last year and earlier this year is gradually closing”. She also warned that “rising tensions in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean could have negative consequences for Cyprus”, and that “the diplomatic space which is allowing for the revival of dialogue may not remain open for ever”. Regarding her meetings with both President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman during that week and conflicting statements regarding the prospect of a tripartite meeting of the two leaders and the UN in New York, Holguin stressed that “such a meeting was not planned beforehand”. Instead, she said, she had informed Erhurman that Christodoulides wished for such a meeting to take place, and Erhurman had asked, “is there a new proposal which would make such a meeting meaningful?” She said that in response, she had told Erhurman that “Christodoulides had reiterated the proposals he had presented during the most recent bilateral meeting between the leaders in Cyprus”, and that Erhurman as such declined to hold a meeting in New York. Erhurman, she said, had found that “the meeting would not yield a positive result unless the necessary conditions for progress were met”. This version of events was largely corroborated by Erhurman, who made reference to the seven issues upon which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had demanded progress when he visited the island in July. “If there is a chance of reaching an agreement on a few of them, and if the secretary-general has time, I would participate in such a meeting. There was no reply to this message,” he said after his return t Cyprus from New York. Menelaou accuses Turkish Cypriots of ‘pattern of obstruction’ The Greek Cypriot side, however, offered a different version of events, with Christodoulides last week accusing Erhurman of “insisting on a two-state solution”, and his chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou saying that the Turkish Cypriot side had followed a “pattern of obstruction” and employed “delaying tactics”. Another issue which came to light in New York was a letter sent by the Republic of Cyprus’ permanent mission at the UN requesting that foreign diplomats not meet Turkish Cypriots. Holguin said of the letter that such moves “absolutely” do not help efforts to create favourable conditions for negotiations to resume in earnest. “These things only complicate an already complex issue. Negotiations do not arise spontaneously, nor do they stem from a hostile environment. The process requires understanding and accepting the other side and its existence,” she said.