President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, expressed on Saturday his readiness to engage in a substantive discussion on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), noting that the initial meeting on this issue, after the Geneva informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format, should take place at the two community leaders’ level. He noted that within the next hours, the Greek Cypriot side will submit through the United Nations several options for next week, aiming to have such a meeting and begin substantive discussions.

In statements to reporters, just before a conference of the Democratic Party, in Nicosia, and asked how we are proceeding with regard to the CBMs, President Christodoulides said that “we have agreed on some categories”, noting that “in the next few hours we will present through the UN two, three, four options, for next week so that there a meeting will take place to begin substantive discussions”.

“We are ready. What the Secretary-General has announced were mainly our own recommendations for CBMs, which we believe will be helpful towards resuming the talks always on the basis of the agreed framework,” he said.

With regard to the appointment of a UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy, President Christodoulides recalled that it was the Greek Cypriot side’s ambition in Geneva “to have a UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy appointed to assist us in the next steps, in view of the new informal meeting, which has been set out in particular towards the resumption of the talks”.

“Since Friday, we have been in discussions with the UN on this particular issue,” he said, noting that they have held discussions and asked for some clarifications in relation to the timeframe and other issues.

He added that possibly this afternoon there will be a new phone conversation and “announcements will be made by the UN Secretary-General and not by us” adding that he had a discussion with the UN Secretary-General on Friday in Brussels.

“His presence at the European Council and the timing immediately after Geneva was very important. I am glad because the Cyprus issue is one of the international issues in the current unstable geopolitical environment in which the cooperation between the UN and the EU can bring positive results. And I am glad because the heads of the institutions and the Secretary-General have this will,” the President of the Republic said.

Source: Parikiaki.com