President Nikos Christodoulides has firmly stated his readiness and detailed plan to restart Cyprus reunification negotiations. He articulated a distinct vision for progressing the stalled peace process during his address at Frederick University. The President asserted that any future discussions must build upon the existing framework. These crucial talks should resume from the significant point where they were suspended in Crans-Montana back in 2017. This resolute stance emphasizes a commitment to leveraging past achievements rather than commencing entirely new dialogues.
The President also confirmed his dedication to orchestrating an extended conference. This procedural step has been mutually acknowledged in recent high-level deliberations, aiming to facilitate broader engagement. In a significant move to counter prevailing narratives, President Christodoulides strongly refuted suggestions that the protracted absence of a resolution is due to Greek Cypriot unwillingness to engage in equitable power-sharing or resource distribution.
A central theme of the President's discourse involved Turkey's and the Turkish Cypriot leadership's stance on a potential two-state solution. He directly challenged the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, to publicly declare his position on this critical matter. "Turkey’s position is clearly for a two-state solution in Cyprus, if this is Mr Erhurman’s position, he should say so publicly," the President declared. This call for transparency is designed to elicit clarity on the fundamental aspirations underpinning the Turkish Cypriot approach to a final settlement.
President Christodoulides also sought to allay concerns that external political developments might impede the peace initiative. He emphatically stated that neither the Republic of Cyprus's upcoming EU Council presidency nor the impending parliamentary elections would hinder the diligent pursuit of resolving the island's enduring division. This assertion highlights a determination to maintain momentum irrespective of domestic political calendars.
These pronouncements follow recent exchanges and declarations concerning the Cyprus problem, including statements from Mr. Erhurman and the UN envoy, Maria Angela Holguin. President Christodoulides indicated that UN Security Council resolutions provide a well-defined blueprint for a federated solution, a framework he advocates for adhering to. His immediate objective is to convey this preparedness and foundational principles to Mr. Erhurman during their scheduled meeting on February 24th.