N. Anastasiadis: Time for delimitation of Cyprus – Turkey EEZ with international initiative

It is now even more urgent to take an initiative by the EU, the United Nations, but also the United States on the Cyprus issue, said the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis.

In statements to reporters after his visit to the “Sotos Hadjiprokopiou” camp in Cherry, Nicosia and asked if the Greek Cypriot side, given its desire to resume talks on the Cyprus issue, expects someone to give the signal to start a President Anastasiadis said: “I have the impression that the Ukrainian crisis is an opportunity for Europeans, Americans, but also the UN to create the conditions for the related to the causes of the Ukrainian war, to be resolved.

It is well known that the EU is looking for alternative energy sources. These energy sources are offered in the Levantine Basin, in the Eastern Mediterranean, either by Israeli, Egyptian or Cypriot deposits. And not only that, because the pipelines can help, so that we have from the countries of the Arabian Gulf.

Therefore, it is an opportunity, if Mr. Erdogan means what he said yesterday for reasons of impression, and I wish I could refute, to take initiatives. And it was my intention, in addition to the confidence-building measures, to suggest that the EU take the initiative before the war. It is now even more urgent to take an initiative by the EU, the UN, but also the US, which have said they would like to see Turkey involved in the Mediterranean, in order to delimit the zone of exclusive economic exploitation between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey.

Secondly, to get rid of the illegal and illegal actions that are a challenge and thirdly, there are the parameters of the UN that give the recipe for a solution, not the one put forward by Turkey, ie the two separate states, but the bi-communal bi-zonal federation, as long as conditions that allow the functioning of the state, the independence of the state or the independence from guarantees and, consequently, the dependence on the influence of third countries.

We do not want to experience conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina or Lebanon, where two non-functional and essentially dead states have produced similar arrangements to those sought.

It is in the interest of both the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots, but also of Turkey, that the solution of the Cyprus problem is based on the principles of the UN, the principles and values ​​of the EU. “such as the modernization of the Customs Union, the issuance of visas, progress in the accession negotiations, progress on energy issues, progress on issues of interest to the region, so that we can create conditions of peace and stability.”

Asked if there were any positive indications from Turkey, the President replied: “Unfortunately, no. On the contrary, what has been said to us, despite what the President of Turkey said yesterday, is that until the Turkish elections there is no intention on their part to take any initiative to resolve the Cyprus issue “.

Commenting on a Turkish’s friendship attack on countries such as Israel, Egypt, the Arab Gulf countries and trying to pass pipelines through the occupied territories, and asked if there were assurances that these plans would not materialize, the President said that ” The tripartite collaborations we have developed here also show the magnitude of a sound foreign policy that prevents such phenomena.

Any improvement in relations with either Israel or Egypt, if and when achieved, prevents unilateral action to the detriment of the Republic of Cyprus. And that’s very important. ”

Asked if the issue of the EU initiative would be raised at the forthcoming European Council, the President said: “However, I have informed both the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as Mrs Nuland during her recent visit to the Republic of Cyprus.”

Source: philenews.com