UN chief hopes for a breakthrough but says major work remains on how to implement and guarantee a final settlement.
Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are close to reaching a deal on unifying the island, according to the United Nations chief, who cautioned, however against any "quick fix" to end decades of division. Speaking from Geneva, Switzerland, where talks aimed at ending 40 years of stalemate are currently under way, Antonio Guterres said that major work remained on how to implement and guarantee a final pact.
"We are coming very close to what is the settlement," Antonio Guterres told reporters in Geneva on Thursday, adding however that key issues remained unresolved.
"You cannot expect miracles of immediate solutions, we are not looking for a quick fix," he said. "We are looking for a solid sustainable solution."Thursday's multi-party talks follow three days of negotiations between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci aiming to forge a united, two-zone federation in the eastern Mediterranean island .
Diplomats believe moderates Anastasiades and Akinci represent the best chance in years to reunite the country. But there are obstacles ranging from property grievances of thousands uprooted in conflict, to more practical difficulties associated with power-sharing, and security.
The conference also included top diplomats from Greece, Turkey and former colonial ruler Britain - the island's guarantor powers which, under a 1959 agreement, have the right to intervene to protect of Cyprus's sovereign integrity.
Ankara used that pact to justify its 1974 invasion that divided the island, which came in response to an Athens-inspired coup seeking union with Greece.
The goal of the talks, Guterres said, was to find a new system that "guarantees the security concerns" of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
"We are at a starting point" on the question of security, he said.
"My hope is there will be a breakthrough", he continued, adding that Cyprus can be "a symbol of hope."
No comments:
Post a Comment