Cyprus Talks: Current solution model not functional, Anastasiades

Greek Cypriot president, has suggested that Greek Cypriots would be at a disadvantage if the island was reunited under the current provisions of a federal model, as there were no signs in sight of a resumption any time soon of negotiations that broke down amid acrimony in 2017.

Speaking during a visit at a military camp in Evrihou on Thursday, Anastasiades said political equality was one thing and “the demand of one community to impose itself on the other through special provisions” another.

We are not talking about minorities and majorities, we are talking about the functionality of the state so as to ensure its viability, Anastasiades said.

In reference to Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, who had advised Anastasiades to change tack, he challenged him to name one country with a federal system “where one of the constituent states will define the other one’s destiny through positive vote mechanisms.”

Let him show me one country, not a federation, which is under the guarantee of a third country that invaded and occupies the territory of another, Anastasiades said.

Anastasiades’ raised the matter of decentralised or loose federation early in October, after years of negotiations in which the Greek Cypriot side tried to make the central state stronger.

Cyprus Mail.