DiCarlo's visit shows UNSG "is very much engaged in the Cyprus issue"

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo's forthcoming visit to Cyprus is a very important message from the Secretary General that he is very much engaged in the Cyprus issue, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, said after meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia.

Meanwhile, the President expressed his readiness for a joint meeting with DiCarlo and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar next week. According to Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Christodoulides also reiterated his will for the immediate resumption of the negotiations to resolve the Cyprus problem and elaborated on his proposal for a more active involvement of the EU in breaking the deadlock.

Stewart said that he had a very good meeting with Christodoulides and that he congratulated him as this was their first formal meeting since his inauguration. He noted that he expressed his condolences over the tragic deaths of the Cypriot youth in the train crash in Greece.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the coming visit of Under-Secretary- General DiCarlo, he added. "Her visit to Cyprus is a very important message from the Secretary General that he is very much engaged in the Cyprus issue," Stewart stressed.

As he said, DiCarlo will be meeting with each of the leaders to hear from them how they see the prospects of moving forward. “The UN continues to be fully engaged in trying to find a way forward for a settlement in Cyprus,” he said. "At the moment we are pleased that there has been a positive tone established between the two leaders and this is something we very much want to build upon."

He also said that he will meet with Tatar on Friday, also to prepare DiCarlo's visit.

Asked if there could be any expectations for something new from DiCarlo’s visit, for example a new effort, Stewart said that "we have things under discussion with the two sides”, adding that it is early days as Christodoulides’ has just assumed his duties.

"But yes, we see potential maybe not during the visit but certainly in the coming weeks we see a lot of potential for some positive developments," he noted. Asked if DiCarlo is planning to visit the guarantor powers as well, Stewart said "not on this trip”.

On his part, Letymbiotis said that DiCarlo's visit sends the message that the UN has the resumption of the negotiations and breaking the deadlock high in its priorities. He said President Christodoulides reiterated his proposal for a social meeting, a dinner with Tatar and Stewart once he is back from Brussels, and that he also expressed his readiness for a joint meeting with DiCarlo and Tatar next week.

Asked about Stewart's response to Christodoulides' proposal for the EU’s involvement, Letymbiotis said "the UN sees it in a positive way and considers the EU as a partner that must be active in the negotiating process".

Moreover, he said that the UN sees positively the positive tone of Christodoulides' public statements since he assumed his duties, as it creates a positive climate for the resumption of the negotiations.

Replying to another question, the spokesman said that the negotiations will always be taking place under the UN auspices and the EU will have a supportive role.

CNA has learned that DiCarlo will arrive in Cyprus on the evening of March 14. On March 15 in the morning, she will meet with Christodoulides and later with Tatar.

Early in the afternoon she will inaugurate a photo exhibition at the Home of Cooperation in the buffer zone, for the participation of women in the negotiations for the Cyprus problem. During her stay she will also meet with the members of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and will visit Famagusta and the buffer zone in Nicosia. She is expected to depart from Cyprus on March 16.

(Source: CNA)