On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for meaningful negotiations on the island of Cyprus that are oriented towards results leading to a settlement that satisfies the Turkish Cypriots, the Greeks and the international community.
This came in Guterres’ latest report obtained by Anadolu Agency, which includes his assessments of the ongoing conflict between the Turkish Cypriots and the Romans on the island.
Guterres called on the guarantor states; Turkey, Greece and Britain to support dialogue and cooperation to resolve the decades-old conflict on the island of Cyprus.
He stressed that “given the lack of concrete dialogue between the two sides on Cyprus and the prevailing social, economic and political climate, the prospect of finding common ground in the Cyprus peace process remains unclear at the present time.”
- Advertisement -
He pointed out that “no agreement has yet been reached on the procedures for appointing the United Nations representative who will explore ways to resume negotiations for a permanent solution on the island.”
Calling on all parties to avoid unilateral actions that would escalate tensions, Guterres stressed that the natural resources on the island and surrounding areas should benefit both communities (Turkish and Rumi).
He said that “continued and serious efforts are needed to find a mutually acceptable path, to bring peace and prosperity to all, and to find a final solution to the Cyprus problem.”
He continued, “I believe that the real progress lies in reaching a consensus starting point for meaningful and results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement that will reassure Cypriots as well as the international community that a peaceful and shared future on the island is indeed still possible.”
Since 1974, the island of Cyprus has been divided into two parts, Turkish in the north and Rumi in the south.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was established on November 15, 1983, after a decision unanimously approved by the Turkish Federal Parliament of Cyprus based on the principle of the right to self-determination, and the Greek Cypriots rejected the United Nations plan (presented by the former Secretary-General of the international organization Kofi Annan) to unify the island in 2004.
