Filenews 20 April 2021 - by Andreas Pibisis
A bitter taste from the Swiss authorities awaits next week those who will travel to Geneva for the informal five-day meeting convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The strict approach of the Swiss authorities is expected to cause a number of difficulties, both for the five delegations and for the media.
Cyprus has been classified by the Swiss authorities in the red risk category regarding covid-19 and therefore measures are likely for the members of the Cypriot mission. Possibly a total ban on leaving the site of the hotels where they will be staying, either for the delegation of the Greek Cypriot side, or the representatives of the media.
There will be some exceptions for the President of the Republic and members of the negotiating team for their transition to the Palace of Nations, the seat of the United Nations in Geneva. The increased measures and the strict implementation of the pandemic protocol have resulted in everything to do with the meetings at the UN building in Geneva being in the air. So far it is not clear how many people will accompany either President Anastasiades or the head of each delegation.
Just as it has not been clear whether the media will be able to be in the United Nations building to cover the informal pentamer. Political leaders and a number of members of the negotiating team may be confined to the hotel and will not be allowed any exit.
As you know, the President of the Republic will be accompanied in Geneva by all but one political leader, the legal-constitutional group, the members of the negotiating team, the Attorney General, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the government representative, etc. Members of the negotiating team include Ioannis Kasoulides, Tasos Tzinis, Panagiotis Dimitriou and Toumazos Tsielepis. During President Anastasiades' meetings with the Secretary-General of the United Nations or with the other delegations, President Anastasiades will be accompanied by negotiator Andreas Mavrogiannis and the Director of his diplomatic office, Kyriakos Kouros. Some other people will be added to the group depending on the number allowed by the United Nations.
As far as the programme of meetings is concerned, so far all that seems to have been finalised is President Anastasiades' meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The UN SG is expected to have separate meetings with all five delegations. On the evening of 27 April there will be a cocktail dinner with the participation of the head plus ten other people from each delegation.
An Anastasiades-Tatar meeting is scheduled for the following day, April 28th. According to an earlier briefing we had on the second day of the informal session, the United Nations had planned separate bilateral and tripartite meetings in which the UN SG himself may also participate.
The mission departs on Monday, April 26 and returns on the evening of the 29th of the month. It is estimated that more than 50 people, politicians, technocrats and journalists, will be on the flight to Geneva.
