Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 12-02-21

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Downer: Cyprus progress report “a challenging task”

[02] President and cabinet delegation to hold talks with College of

[03] Cyprus welcomes Eurogroup results

[04] Foreign Ministry calls for urgent restoration of Apostolos Andreas

[01] Downer: Cyprus progress report “a challenging task”

Speaking to the press after a meeting between the leaders of the two communities in the context of the UN-led talks to solve Cyprus problem, Alexander Downer said that the discussion lasted around an hour and a half and concentrated on the issue of property.

He said that the leaders will meet again next Tuesday to continue their discussion on the same issue and decide how to proceed.

Asked about two reports on the progress of the talks – one to be submitted to the Security Council by the UNSG and the other to Ban Ki moun by himself -, Downer said that “the UN is investing a lot of energy in this process and has, of course, over a long period of time”.

He added that “the UN is a complex institution”, noting that “the UN is not just the SG or not just me and the SG”.

“In the context of the Cyprus issue, importantly, there is the SC”, he said, adding that “the leaders like to remind everybody of this on many occasions, there are a series of SC resolutions and the SC needs to be informed by the SG on a periodic basis of all the security issues that the SG deals with”.

He went on to say that he orally briefed the members of the SC after the Greentree meeting between the SG and the two community leaders, noting that UNSG would produce his own report for them.

“I have given them an oral briefing but he would like to provide a report and I think that is appropriate. I mean, they would like to receive a report and they want to read what the SG has to say”, he added.

In addition, he said that during the Greentree meeting, the SG and the UN team thought that “it would be useful if I provided a report to the SG”.

“This is not a report to the SC, this is a report from me to the SG at the end of March on the way forward, so I’ll be doing that”, he said.

Asked if he could elaborate on that report, he replied: “I’ll elaborate on it at the time. Today is late February so in a month or so, I’ll be turning my mind to this challenging task of producing this report”.

“But I don’t know what it will say. I simply can’t speculate on it at this stage”, he added. Asked what the leaders are doing now since they have already discussed everything regarding the property issue, he said that “there has been exchange of data and so on. So, that obviously is a context for discussion”.

“They also exchanged papers on property some time ago during the Greentree II meeting so that is also a basis for the discussion”, he concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The latest round of UN-led talks has been underway since 2008 with an aim to reunify the island under a federal roof.

[02] President and cabinet delegation to hold talks with College of

The delegation includes Foreign Minister Erato Kozako Markoullis, Acting Finance Minister and Communications and Works Minister Efthymios Flourentzou, Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Praxoula Antoniadou, Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Sofoklis Aletraris and Labour, Social Insurance Minister Sotiroula Charalambous, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou and Deputy Minister for European Affairs Andreas Mavroyiannis

[03] Cyprus welcomes Eurogroup results

A statement, issued by the Cypriot delegation to Eurogroup headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Christos Patsalides, said the meeting welcomed the measures to be adopted by the Greek government, which will be the basis for the next support programme.

The new programme will provide guidance for the viability of Greece’s public finances and the framework for the financial stability of the entire Eurozone.

[04] Foreign Ministry calls for urgent restoration of Apostolos Andreas

In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry notes that Minister Erato Kozakou – Markoullis, was informed by Bishop of Karpasia Christoforos on the critical situation of the historic monastery and the urgent need to restore it”, adding that “an effort is underway to restore the monastery through the Technical Cultural Heritage Committee”.

The Foreign Ministry, the statement adds, “agrees with the appeal of the Archbishopric urging the public not to visit the Monastery until at least supports are added to the sections which are facing immediate danger, since the number one priority should be the safety of pilgrims”.

On Monday, Archbishop of the Church of Cyprus Chrysostomos II said he would be reporting the obstruction by the Turkish occupation regime of the maintenance of St. Andrew`s Monastery, and has called on the regime for the last time to allow restoration work, otherwise the Archbishopric would go ahead anyway at the risk of arrest.

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