Cyprus update: Substantive differences remain on property issue, says Anastasiades

Cyprus: Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, said despite some progress achieved on the property issue, there still continued to exist a substantive differences between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Nicos Anastasiades who was speaking after his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, on Friday July 1, 2016, said it was one of the most difficult chapters.

“The meeting was held in a positive climate, I cannot say there was tension, despite our differences,”  “Despite the progress observed on the property issue, substantive differences remain.”

Anastasiades said it had been agreed that the property owner had the first say but there were complications in a number of issues as to; who was entitled, who was excluded, how development of the property would be assessed whether it was substantial or not, adding that settling the property issue was connected to territorial readjustments.

“The two are interconnected. If there is progress in the matters of principle, important matters in the property chapter, again they will be linked to territorial readjustments,” he said.

Source: CyprusMail