The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, is travelling to New York to participate in the expanded meeting on the Cyprus problem under the United Nations Secretary-General, with the aim, as he stated, of creating conditions for the resumption of talks.

The meetings will take place on 16 and 17 July with a hope that it can kickstart talks to help build towards a solution.

In statements after the ceremony at the cemetery of Saints Constantine and Helen, for those who died in the coup of 15 July, 1974, Christodoulides stressed that there are red lines and clarified that any confidence-building measures (CBMs) are not a substitute for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

“We know our goals, we know our aspirations. For us, the current state of affairs cannot be the future of our homeland,” he said.

“We are going to New York to create the conditions for the resumption of talks.”

The Cyprus President added:

“But at the same time, I know that when we first started this effort, in March 2023, taking into account the Turkish approaches, there would have been no appointment of a Personal Envoy, no expanded meeting in Geneva, no appointment by the European Union, and much more.

I am not downplaying, I am not overlooking the difficulties, there have always been difficulties in the Cyprus problem, but we have a clear plan, a clear design and based on this we will move forward in New York.”

Responding to a question regarding the role of the European Union, given that its envoy for the Cyprus issue, Johannes Hahn, will not be present in New York, Christodoulides referred to the EU letter during the Geneva meeting last March.

He noted it as “a point of reference in relation to both the interest of the European Union and the framework of the solution”.

He also acknowledged that the appointment of an envoy was a request from Nicosia.

“Mr Khan’s presence in New York would be helpful, given the Turkish side’s approach,” he continued, adding that “what we are working on is for the European Union to be present with the resumption of substantive talks.”

He further said that “all this time, Mr Khan has been working in all directions, and especially in the direction of Turkey”, while emphasising that “any development in Euro-Turkish relations, which is a strategic goal for Turkey, also goes through developments in the Cyprus problem.”

When asked about “red lines” and confidence building measures, Christodoulides clarified that “these CBMs should aim to strengthen the effort to resolve the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework” and that “they are not something that replaces the solution to the Cyprus problem or can in any way replace the solution to the Cyprus problem.”

He explained that the CBMs should provide impetus for the resumption of talks and a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework.

“So yes, we are ready to discuss confidence building measures that promote the resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework,” he said.

Christodoulides stressed, however, that a basic red line is that the Republic of Cyprus is not willing to discuss “any confidence building measures, which refer to the well-known Turkish proposals and positions on a two-state solution”.