Press Releases

During yesterday’s (6.5.21) international press briefing at UN Headquarters, in New York, the Spokesperson for the Secretary General, Mr Stéphane Dujarric replied to questions set by the Canada Free Press correspondent on the Cyprus issue as follows:

“Question:  Thank you. This is sort of a follow-up to the Cyprus informal talks last week.  Does the Secretary General believe that the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot delegations and the three Guarantor Power delegations are negotiating in good faith?  And this would include his view of the Turkish Cypriot leader [Ersin] Tatar’s proposal for a two-State solution.

And what does the Secretary-General think about the thousands of occupation troops still stationed in northern Cyprus?

Spokesman:  I really have nothing to add to the talks to what the Secretary-General said at the end of the press conference in Geneva, and I would encourage. I think the answers to your questions are there.  He will reconvene in a few months after more discussions, another round of informal talks. He’d asked the parties to come to Geneva for discussions, for open discussions.  That happened.  But I, frankly, have nothing to add to what the Secretary General has already said on that.

Question:  Yeah, well, I don’t recall, in any of the remarks, any specific reference to this two-State solution proposal from the Cypriot Turkish side; and also, the reference to the occupation troops in northern Cyprus, which is sort of like the elephant in the room.

Spokesman:  The issue of security, security guaranties, all of that will have to come out in a comprehensive settlement.  And I think as on the contrary, I think, in the remarks, he laid out the Turkish Cypriot position; he laid out the Greek Cypriot position.  It was clear to all from what he said that there needs to be more talks, so I think, in that sense, he referred to it pretty clearly.”

(ΕΚ)