Christodoulides optimistic about upcoming Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will discuss the Cyprus issue with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the upcoming Nato summit despite it not being on the official agenda, President Nikos Christodoulides said Friday.

The Cypriot president expressed hope that there will be positive outcomes from the meeting between the Greek and Turkish leaders on the sidelines of the Nato Summit in Lithuania, in his statements to journalists in Nicosia.

When asked if the Cyprus issue will be discussed in the Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting, Christodoulides expressed certainty that it will be discussed between the two leaders, although the Cyprus issue is not on the agenda of the summit.

“I am sure that the Cyprus issue will be discussed in the meeting. A meeting that we hope will lead to positive results,” he said.

The national problem will also be discussed during Erdogan’s other meetings with European leaders, as well as with the heads of EU institutions on the sidelines of the summit Christodoulides said. The issue will be raised “within the framework of this development that exists, our initiative for a more active role by the EU” he said.

But the president explained that the main topic of the summit is the possibility of Sweden’s accession to Nato.

In response to a question about the upcoming visit of the Foreign Minister to New York for a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Christodoulides said that there was a preparatory meeting this morning ahead of the Foreign Minister’s visit to New York. Negotiator Menelaos Menelaou is also there.

At the same time, processes are taking place among the members of the Security Council regarding the discussion that will take place on the occasion of Colin Stewart’s presentation of the data for the last six months, the president added.

“There is intense activity both at the UN level and at the EU level, next week is also the meeting in Lithuania,” he said.

Efforts are being made “to synchronise these developments and events with the UN and the EU, on the sidelines of Nato, because the Cyprus issue will not be discussed at Nato, in order for such developments to lead to a resumption of negotiations.”

When asked what the government’s actions are about Turkey’s demand not to mention Cyprus by name on Nato maps, but only with coordinates, Christodoulides said, “that is Turkey’s position”.

“Other Nato member states and the Nato Secretariat have proposed other solutions, other recommendations, and we will see where and what the outcome will be.”

He noted that “there was certainly a reaction, not from us, as we are not a Nato member state, but through our actions towards friendly Nato member states and, of course, Greece, both towards the Nato Secretariat and in general during the discussion of this particular issue.”

The president was also asked to comment on the reports of massive usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied areas, to which he said investigations are ongoing, without providing any details.

“The Government is investigating the issue based on the information that came to light, and soon I will be able to speak more specifically based on the data I will have before me.

“I want to be responsible when I speak, especially about such a serious issue because it is very serious,” he said.