The latest developments in the Cyprus conflict, as well as coordination between the two sides, were discussed during yesterday's meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as reported by government sources.
The Greek Prime Minister pointed out that "the talks (with the President of Turkey ) took place in a good atmosphere. On the other hand, however, it is an opportunity to repeat our fixed positions regarding the Cyprus issue, in absolute coordination, always, with Mr. President."
For his part, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis , pointed out that "coordination continues, and I repeat, I want to express my satisfaction with everything I have heard".
"On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, I had the opportunity to meet the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis. Greece and Cyprus are in complete coordination on the Cyprus issue," the Prime Minister said a while ago in his post on social media, accompanied by the relevant video.
Στο περιθώριο της Γενικής Συνέλευσης του ΟΗΕ είχα την ευκαιρία να συναντήσω τον Πρόεδρο της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας @Christodulides. Ελλάδα και Κύπρος βρισκόμαστε σε απόλυτο συντονισμό για το Κυπριακό ζήτημα. pic.twitter.com/P8tzw8wFSG
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) September 21, 2023
Agreeing that they disagree, Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed on Wednesday from New York their mutual willingness to improve Greek-Turkish relations by promoting easy issues on which they can find common ground and leaving for later the more difficult and thorny issues, such as the appeal to the Hague to determine maritime zones and the Cyprus issue, on which the two countries disagree.
The meeting of the two leaders, which was the sixth in a row since September 2019, when they had the first four-four again on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, took place in the so-called "Turkish House," a multi-storey building that is the seat of Ankara's diplomatic mission to the United Nations.
The two leaders talked for about an hour - "in a perfect atmosphere", as noted by diplomatic observers - with Foreign Ministers George Gerapapetritis and Hakan Fidan by their side, who had prepared the agenda for the discussions since the previous day, as well as "the theme" of the meeting.
Also present were their diplomatic advisors, Anna Maria Boura and Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
Recognising the need to preserve the excellent atmosphere that marked their previous meeting in Vilnius last July, the two leaders set a new date for December 7 in Thessaloniki, where it was agreed to the Supreme Cooperation Council of Greece - Turkey with the participation of ministers from the two countries who will discuss portfolio issues and sign cooperation agreements in various matters in which a standard recommendation will be found.
In the meantime, the road map agreed upon by the two foreign ministers during the meeting they had on September 5 in Ankara will apply with the following steps:
- In mid-October, the deputy foreign ministers of the two countries responsible for political dialogue and the positive agenda will meet, while
- Confidence Building Measures will be discussed within November.
Of course, as Greek government sources emphasised, according to Proto Thema, a condition for all of this to proceed and to maintain the excellent climate in Greek-Turkish relations is not to repeat the rhetorical outbursts and threats of the past.
The same sources noted with satisfaction that in the last months, especially after Vilnius, there have been no moves by Turkey to disturb the good atmosphere in the relations between Athens and Ankara.
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