Nikos Christodoulidis expressed his satisfaction because it was decided to continue the informal meetings in an expanded format with the participation of the three guarantor powers, as was done in the past.

At the same time, he also expressed optimism for positive developments, although, as he said, they are not there yet.

In statements to the journalists, immediately after the conclusion of the meeting, the President of the Republic added that, during the dinner, which lasted for two hours, there was an open discussion, in some places constructive, but he did not hear anything new from Mr. Tatar.

Nikos Christodoulidis noted that, in the proposals he submitted for confidence-building measures, what was agreed upon was to hold a meeting in Cyprus to discuss the possibility of opening and new crossing points.

The position of the Republic of Cyprus during the discussion, he said, was to ensure the negotiated acquis with the six points of the Secretary General. He added that some suggestions were made by the Secretary General that were not accepted by the Turkish Cypriot leader, but he would not go into details in order to lay blame.

Also read: Cypriot Issue | Tatar negative in tripartite meeting – Christodoulidis’ answer

Regarding the possibility of continuing Mrs. Holgin’s mission, the President of the Republic stated that he wishes to continue her efforts, but what is certain is that someone, besides the Secretary General, whether Mrs. Holgin or another person, will have a leading role to prepare the informal meetings.

The Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar confirmed on his departure that he will discuss with Nikos Christodoulidis in Cyprus about the opening of new roadblocks. He also spoke of convening an informal extended meeting with the participation of Greece and Turkey, without excluding the participation of the United Kingdom.

At the same time, Ersin Tatar, stated that, if sovereign equality and equal international status are not confirmed, he is not going to continue formal negotiations.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, after the informal dinner, through a statement, referred to the commitment of his Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguín Quellar, who submitted her final report in July, expressing his regret for not finding common ground between the two leaders.

Antonio Guterres encouraged the two leaders to bridge their differences and restore trust so that progress can be made towards resolving the Cyprus issue. The two leaders agreed to meet informally in a broader context in the future and to examine the possibility of opening new crossings in Cyprus.

The Secretary-General reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to a peaceful resolution for the benefit of all Cypriots and future generations.

Also read: Cypriot Issue | On October 15 the New York tripartite