No resumption of the Cyprus talks before Turkey’s elections in late June - Greek Foreign Minister

There will be no resumption of the Cyprus negotiation talks before the Turkish elections, which are scheduled for June 24 said, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Kotzias.

Kotzias made the comments while speaking after a meeting in New York with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which focused on the Cyprus issue and negotiations between Greece and Skopje regarding the. name dispute.

We discussed the future negotiations on the Cyprus issue and how they should be prepared, Kotzias said.

Asked what Guterres intended to do about the Cyprus issue and if he would be appointing a special envoy soon, Kotzias said the UNSG has proposed a person but the name has not yet been accepted by Turkey.

It remains to be confirmed. I told him I did not know the adviser he proposed but trust his choices and judgement. We will not begin negotiations before the Turkish elections and before we finish with others. We cannot do everything at once, Kotzias added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, since a conflict that led to war between the two sides. All efforts to to reunify the island have so far failed to yield results.

CNA