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The likelihood of a tripartite meeting seems to be in sight, said the President of the Republic Mr. Nicos Anastasiades today, in New York, following his meeting with the UN Secretary-General Mr. Antόnio Guterres.

In his remarks at the UN headquarters, after the meeting, the President of the Republic told reporters that "it was a particularly productive meeting.

I presented our positions, namely that we are ready for an agreement on the terms of reference in order to allow the resumption of the dialogue with the three component parts like the common statement of 11 February 2014, the convergences that had been reached until the Crans Montana meeting and, of course, the Secretary-General's framework as it was presented by himself on 30 June.

I told him that I am ready, at any moment, to hold a tripartite meeting in order to find the way for an agreement or at least to repeat the mutual understanding that prevailed on the 9th (of August) and during the first hours following Mrs. Lute's arrival (in Cyprus).

What I want to say is to express my satisfaction with regard to the readiness of the Secretary-General to cooperate with the parties; and it seems that the prospect of the tripartite meeting is in sight , as is also, possibly, and provided there is a result at the tripartite, the convening of an informal five-party meeting in order for the interested sides concerned with the external aspects of the Cyprus problem, to agree on the object, as Mr. Chavusoglu says, of the discussion. Our side was absolutely clear with regard to this goal."

Asked about his sense of the timing for the tripartite meeting of the Secretary-General with the leaders of the two communities, the President of the Republic said that "this will be decided by the Secretary-General. We expect it to be in October, either in New York or in some European city."

Asked to say whether at the meeting he spoke to the Secretary-General about his intention or his thoughts for recourse to the Security Council on the issue of Famagusta, President Anastasiades said that "we will talk about these later."

(RM/EL/SCH)