President's visit to Strasbourg yielded positive outcomes, Nicosia assesses

Nicosia considers that President Nikos Christodoulides' visit and contacts at the European Parliament in Strasbourg have yielded positive results, especially as regards the support provided by the political groups to his proposal for a more active EU involvement in efforts to lift the deadlock in the Cyprus problem and for the resumption of negotiations for its settlement.

Information suggests that action is being taken aiming at the resumption of the negotiating process, in light of Christodoulides' proposal, and in this framework, three deadlines have been set out within 2023, with President Christodoulides aiming at substantive developments the soonest possible.

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) has learned that during the meetings he had on the afternoon of 13 June with political groups, President Christodoulides further elaborated on his proposal with which he connects the EU-Turkish relations with the Cyprus problem. Christodoulides feels encouraged by the response of his interlocutors. His aim is to secure the MEPs support, since some of the incentives, especially to do with the economic sector, that could be given to Turkey by the EU must be approved by the European Parliament.

Christodoulides attended a working lunch with the President of the European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, which the latter hosted in the President's honour and which was also attended by the Vice Presidents of the European Parliament and the Vice Presidents of EPP as well as Cypriot MEPs.

Moreover, he had a meeting with the President of Renew Europe, Stéphane Séjourné, and afterwards with the Vice President of the Socialists and Democrats Pedro Marques. He also participated in a coordinating meeting with the EPP political group.

During his meetings, President Christodoulides underlined the need for the EU to acquire a central role in the Southern Neighbourhood - the Middle East and the Gulf region. He also informed his interlocutors about some visits he will pay to countries of the region and underlined that Cyprus is a country with a purely European orientation. The migration issue was also discussed during his meetings.

Briefing the UN

According to information, President Christodoulides will inform the UN over the coming days about the results of his meetings in Strasbourg, during high-level meetings and telephone conversations he will have, and in this framework, there will be coordination for the next steps.

At the EU level, concrete messages have been conveyed to Turkey as regards the Cyprus problem by the leaders which communicated with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after his re-election. These contacts took place by the leaders of France and Germany as well as by the heads of two EU institutions.

Nicosia expects to see how Christodoulides' proposal can take a concrete form and, to this end, deliberations are taking place on a daily basis with Brussels, Paris, and Berlin.

The NATO Summit that will take place in Lithuania on 11 and 12 July and will be attended by Erdogan is expected to be of decisive importance as regards developments in the Cyprus problem as bilateral meetings will take place there during which the Cyprus problem will be discussed.

Sources have said that it is positive that Christodoulides' proposal for an active EU involvement in the Cyprus problem is viewed in a positive way and no one has a negative approach towards it, while there is awareness of the geopolitical dimension of the whole issue and that fact that when Turkey comes closer to the EU this means that it will become distant from Russia.

The sources noted that Christodoulides refrained from commenting, during his intervention at the EP plenary on Tuesday, the statements that Erdogan made during his illegal visit to the occupied areas of Cyprus on 12 June, since he does not want to get engaged in a blame game, but what he is interested in is how to create the conditions for the resumption of negotiations.

Next stop, Vienna

The President departed from Strasbourg for Vienna on the evening of 13 June, where on 14 June he will hold talks with the Austrian Chancellor, Karl Nehammer.

Nicosia decided that Vienna will be Christodoulides’ next stop in the framework of his visits to European capitals, after his trips to Paris and Berlin, since Austria is reluctant to give incentives to Ankara in the framework of Euro-Turkish relations.

Meanwhile, Christodoulides received on 12 June an invitation from Renew Europe to participate in its meeting on 29 June in Brussels.

According to information, the President has not decided yet if he will attend the Renew Europe summit while he will attend the EPP Summit that will take place on the same day at the Belgian capital. The EPP is aware of this invitation by Renew Europe, that has expressed readiness to accept the Ministers of Christodoulides' government in his meetings after the Democratic Rally party said that it does not wish for the Cypriot Ministers to participate in the EPP ministerial meetings.

The issue of the Ministers' participation in the EPP was raised during Christodoulides' discussions with the EPP in Strasbourg as well as during his meeting with President Metsola.

Christodoulides considers Renew Europe's invitation as positive, given the fact that the President of France, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, and the President of the European Council participate, among others, in this political group.

The sources also noted that participation in one political group does not prohibit holding contacts with other political groups as well.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

(Source: CNA)