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We are working to welcome the
personal envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary- General, to have a very
constructive and productive discussion and to achieve concrete results
towards the resumption of the Cyprus talks from the point that they were stopped,
President Nikos Christodoulides said last night.
In his statements to the press
at an event in memory and honour of the Archibishop Makarios III at the
Archbishop Makarios III Foundation and asked about the meeting he had today
with the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, Mr Grant Shapps,
President Christodoulides said “it was a good meeting”, adding that the
Secretary “was in Cyprus again recently, six weeks ago.
During the meeting there was a
discussion and exchange of views on our bilateral issues, on further
strengthening our cooperation in many areas, especially in areas that concen
the Secretary, but also on developments in general.
The United Kingdom (UK)
supports the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus and of the international
community in general for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to all
those who need it in Gaza. We continue our contacts towards various
directions, in Israel, in countries in the region, the UN and it is in this
context that the discussion took place.”
In respose to another question
about the meeting, the President said there was specific discussion on the
issue of the humanitarian aid corridor, noting, however: “I would not like to
prejudge anything. We are working in a specific direction, both us as well as
the UK, and we appreciate the fact that they are actively supporting the
initiative of the Republic of Cyprus.”
Asked to comment on the
statements made by the Turkish Cypriot leader against the Greek Cypriot side,
the President of the Republic said: “I have nothing to respond to Mr Tatar. I
hope there is no need for any excuses, with or without quotation marks, on
the occasion of the arrival to Cyprus of the UN Secretary General's personal
envoy. We are working to welcome the personal envoy, to have a very
constructive and hopefully a productive discussion and to achieve concrete
results in one direction only: the resumption of the talks from the point
that they were stopped in Crans-Montana, with one objective only: the
resolution of the Cyprus problem."
(IA/AP) | 
