Brussels, 08/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On 7 April, the UN special envoy to Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide from Norway, announced that negotiations for the island's reunification should resume “in several weeks, and
not several months, from today”.
Earlier in the day, Eide had met Greek and Turkish Cypriot diplomats. The two parties agreed that the “circumstances were now good” for resuming the negotiations, Eide told press. “I don't see any obstacle to resuming the talks very quickly once the electoral process in the north of Cyprus is done”, he added. The first round of voting to elect the new leader of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - recognised only by Turkey - will take place on 19 April. In February, the Greek Cypriot chief negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis, told EUROPE that he hoped the talks would resume in April at the latest (see EUROPE 11244).
Discussions have been at a halt since October 2014 due to tension over the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus (see EUROPE 11172). The Greek Cypriots suspended their participation in the talks that had resumed in February 2014 because Turkey sent a ship conducting seismic exploration into this exclusive economic zone (see EUROPE 11015). Since then the ship has been withdrawn from the zone and a notification on new research expired on 6 April without Turkey extending it.
“The reason given (to explain) why the talks could not take place has disappeared, at least for the foreseeable future”, Eide stated. According to the spokesperson for the Cypriot government, Nicos Christodoulides, Eide told President Nikos Anastasiades that, following the withdrawal of the ship, Turkey would not proceed with renewing its notification on maritime research in the zone and would support the resumption of dialogue on the Cypriot issue.
“This is a window of opportunity that will not remain open forever. This country must find a solution. Every issue can be settled if there is the resolve”, Eide stated. “I strongly believe that 2015 will be a decisive year, in the right direction”, he added, hoping that he would be the 24th and final UN envoy to Cyprus. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)