Cyprus Talks: Leaders agree to Geneva conference in June

Leaders of the divided Cyprus island, Nicos Anastasiades, Greek Cypriot president, and Mustafa Akinc, Turkish Cypriot president have both agreed to reconvene the Cyprus Conference in Geneva in line with resolutions made on January 12th, following their meeting with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Sunday.


Making the announcement, Guterres noted that UN Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide will engage all participants in preparation of a joint document that will guide the discussions on security and guarantees based on the outcome of the Cyprus Conference in Geneva and Mont Pèlerin.

“The Secretary-General met today with the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, and with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mustafa Akinci.

The leaders and the Secretary-General agreed on the need to reconvene the Conference on Cyprus in June in line with the 12 January statement of the conference.

All agreed that the chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance to the two communities. Progress in this chapter is an essential element in reaching an overall agreement and in building trust between the two communities in relation to their future security.

The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, will engage with all participants in the preparation of a common document to guide the discussions on security and guarantees, based on the outcome of the meetings of the conference on Cyprus in Geneva and Mont Pèlerin.

The leaders agreed to continue, in parallel, the bi-communal negotiations in Geneva on all other outstanding issues, starting with territory, property and governance and power-sharing.

The leaders and the Secretary-General agreed that all issues will be negotiated interdependently and that nothing is agreed till everything is agreed, as per the joint declaration of 11 February 2014.

In the follow-up to this meeting, the Secretary-General will reach out to the other participants of the conference: Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom and the European Union as an observer,” Guterres read out in a statement after the meeting.

Both leaders agreed to continue in parallel the bi-communal negotiations in Geneva on all other outstanding issues, starting with territory, property and governance and power-sharing. In the follow-up to the meeting in New York on Sunday, the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will reach out to the other participants of the conference: Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom and the European Union as an observer.