UN SPECIAL Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said yesterday he remained “realistically optimistic” that the two communities could set aside the standoff over the hydrocarbons row and resume peace talks.
UN Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide with UN Special Representative for Cyprus Lisa Buttenheim at the Presidential Palace yesterday
Speaking to the media after a long meeting with Greek Cypriot Leader Nicos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace, the UN official said it was necessary for the leaders of the communities to reach an agreement.
Quizzed about the prospects for a deal allowing the resumption of reunification negotiations, Eide said he did not expect a deal today.
Responding to a question as to why his meeting with Anastasiades lasted two hours, Eide said only: “Good meetings always take time.”
Eide said both sides in Cyprus should focus on the future. Asked if he brought a formula to solve the impasse, he said: “I have a number of ideas which you can call a formula or package”, adding that “it is too early to reveal the details because I am still in discussions with both sides and nothing has been agreed so far, nor did I expect anything to be agreed”.
“But I want to insist on which is my main message, that both leaders agree that hydrocarbons will be part of the shared future of a united Cyprus. There is a striking agreement on the future and almost no agreement on the present,” he said, urging everyone to focus on the future.
Asked whether he believed that the issue of natural gas should be put on the negotiating table, he said that “if the table means UN table, that is up to the sides”. He stressed that it was important for everyone in Cyprus to discuss what will happen in the future when there is a unified island.
For his part, government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told reporters that Anastasiades and Eide discussed “a range of ideas” on how peace talks might resume.
“There has been no conclusion. We welcome Mr. Eide’s efforts,” Christodoulides said.
To the Greek Cypriot side, he added, the cessation of Turkish provocations was a precondition for returning to the negotiating table.
Earlier in the day, Eide met with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, who on Wednesday said that the withdrawal of a Turkish research vessel from Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone was “out of the question.”
Turkish Cypriot Leader Dervis Eroglu said that no pre-conditions will be accepted.
On Wednesday, speaking in Athens, Eide had described the dispute between Turkey and Cyprus over offshore drilling as “really quite dangerous” and he encouraged all parties to do their utmost to avoid any further escalation.
The United States has expressed concern about recent developments in the eastern Mediterranean.
Kufi Seydali
Comment by John Mavro
‘There is a striking agreement on the future and almost no agreement on the present,” he said, urging everyone to focus on the future.”
Even though Mr Eide has been in his position as UN SPECIAL Adviser on Cyprus for a relatively short period, with his statement above he seems to have identified the core issue of the long running saga called the Cyprus ”problem”
Which, as he absolutely correctly states, there is NO agreement on the present. Or the past.
For many generations, the ”governing elite”, has ensured that its electorate lives in the past by adopting inward and backward looking policies in order to maintain its grip on power.
Consider the following:
– an education system that from an early age promotes narrow minded and xenophobic nationalism by brainwashing young minds that the all Turks, and by extensions, TCs, are our natural enemies
– the church which continues with this type of ”education” among its followers by portraying the other side as godless barbarians.
– a political system that glorifies past disasters and failures such as EOKA, Makarios and Grivas
– and which to this day has not tried to learn from the catastrophic consequences of mistakes made not only by the above, but subsequent ”leaders” too.
– a refusal to identify and bring to justice the real culprits of the 1974 coup and consequent catastrophe so that the nation can believe that justice has been done. And can now look ahead.
– an obsession with never ending memorials and remembrances
– total absence of vision for the future, especially among the corrupt ”leadership”
– short- termism which is prevalent in all aspects of society without thought or planning for the future. Prime example being instant gratification and excess consumption without any thought about what happens thereafter. As evidenced by the recent orgy of excessive borrowing which led to NPLs representing more than 50% of all loans. Resulting in the collapse of the banking system and the bankruptcy pf the economy.
Against this background, Mr Eide is absolutely correct. We cannot agree, among ourselves, what we really want; who is to blame for these disasters; who should be punished; whether we actually want a settlement to the Cyprus ”problem” etc.
But because our ”politicians” and ”governing elite” are expedient, self serving and corrupt individuals who prefer the present status quo since it suits their pockets and thieving self enrichment ways, they are too cowardly to openly and publicly state that they want de jure partition.
Hence they continue with the myth about the future. And how they ALL agree about there being a ”settlement” to unify the island. When in reality its is the last thing they actually want.
This is a schizophrenic lunatic asylum consisting of a population that has lost its moral compass; and is being led by unscrupulous thieves who prefer that its electorate live in the past and not question their criminal misdeeds. But will always provide false hope on a ”solution” by appearing as champions of a settlement of the Cyprus ”problem”.
Despite this, we can only be grateful to Mr Eide for his efforts in trying to bring these very stubborn Cypriot donkeys together. And wish him best of luck.
While the sensible among us pray for a major miracle. Which as we all know, are rather very rare.