Year of stagnation in 2021 for the Cyprus issue. The Turkish and Turkish positions and the position for a solution on the basis of the sovereign equality of two equal and sovereign "peoples" with equal international status, which was reflected in the 6-point proposal of Ersin Tatar, at the informal five-party Conference on Cyprus in Geneva between April 27 and 29, left no room for progress.
At the end of the informal meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that "the truth is that we have not yet found enough common ground to repeat the talks, but I do not give up" and "squaring the circle is impossible in geometry but it's very common in politics. "
The EU did not take part in the informal five-party conference. However, they were represented by Angelina Eichhorst, Country Director for Western Europe, the Western Balkans, Turkey and the United Kingdom at the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Separate contacts of the UN Secretary General with the President and the Turkish Cypriot leader
In June in Brussels, the UN Secretary General had separate meetings with the President of the Republic and the Turkish Cypriot leader. There were many meetings and discussions on the Cyprus issue of all international actors involved in the process of resolving the problem, while Jane Hall Luth came to the island for new consultations with both sides.
The informal tripartite meeting took place in New York at the end of September, after the UN General Assembly, where again there was no tangible result. Due to obstacles from the Turkish and Turkish sides, it was not possible to reach an agreement on the appointment of a Special Envoy to replace Jane Hall Luth, who resigned from her position to be appointed to a large private company. The UN never made an announcement about this meeting.
There was a change in the head of UNFICYP and the Good Services of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus. Elizabeth Spehar, who left after 5 years, was succeeded by another Canadian, Colin Stewart, who had his first separate meetings with the two leaders in December and a social meeting of all, President Anastasiadis, Turkish President Ersin Tatar. , the negotiators, co-chairs and members of the bi-communal Technical Committees, at Ledra Palace on December 14.
In the reports of the UN Secretary General but also in the resolutions of the organization for the renewal of the mandate of UNFICYP, reference is constantly made to the basis of the solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.
The British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, who visited Cyprus in February, described the model of a bi-zonal bi-communal federation as a "starting point" in early March, citing the need for flexibility and pragmatism. Transitional discussions followed on a British model of a solution, which British Undersecretary of State Wendy Morton had denied when she also arrived in Cyprus, before the informal five-party summit in Geneva.
The EU rejected the Turkish positions
The EU rejected the Turkish positions. Borrell and von der Leyen visited Cyprus in 2021. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy expressed the position that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side should stay away from rhetoric about two states in Cyprus, because Such a solution will never be accepted by the EU. The EU will not accept a two-state solution, said the President of the European Commission. A similar statement was made by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, before the EP Plenary in July.
This year's last General Affairs Council adopted the conclusions on enlargement, which say that Turkey is moving further and further away from the EU and the accession process is at a standstill, calling on it to stop all threats and actions that harm it. good neighborly relations, normalize relations with the Republic of Cyprus and respect the sovereignty of all EU Member States over their territorial waters on the basis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
At the end of August, the President of the Republic submitted a proposal - a response to Ersin Tatar, for a return to the Constitution of the '60s, which the Turkish leader rejected, while provoking several discussions on the domestic political front. Speaking about this proposal before the UN General Assembly, President Anastasiadis said that he aims to facilitate the return of T / C to the state before the solution.
In November, on the occasion of the publication of part of the UN minutes for the conference on Cyprus in Crans Montana in 2017, the newspaper "Phileleftheros" provoked a discussion again about the then round of negotiations, Turkey's positions and the final result of the dinner. in the presence of the UN Secretary General.
Commenting on the minutes, the President of the Republic said that they refer "to the real facts and not to myths and narratives that were spread by a certain UN official to those who wanted to watch and listen to him".
The Turkish movements in Varosi are a tombstone for the Cyprus problem
The President of the Republic characterized any settlement of the fenced area of Famagusta as a tombstone of the Cyprus problem.
About a year after the first opening, on October 13, the Turkish Cypriot and Turkish sides began work on a second point, approximately in the middle of the fenced Varos. Earlier, on July 20, in the presence of the Turkish President in the occupied territories to celebrate the Turkish invasion, Ersin Tatar announced the declassification of a military zone and the pilot opening of a 3,5% area of closed Varos - where the drilling works are taking place. new entry point - and called on Greek property owners there to apply to the "real estate committee" to claim their property by return, exchange or compensation.
Both Mr. Tatar and the Turkish leadership claim that Varosi is the territory of the "tdbk", as they call the pseudo-state. EVKAF also announced that it is claiming property in the fenced area, claiming that a large part belongs to three Ottoman bakufikas.
During the year the cleaning, road construction, and use of public spaces continued. The Golden Coast beach in Varosi and the garden of the Greek high school in Famagusta opened to Erdogan on July 20.
The Republic of Cyprus, parties, the Municipality of Famagusta and many other bodies condemned the Turkish moves in Varosi and appealed to all international forums, UN, EU, members of the UN Security Council, the powerful countries of the Union, but also the USA. The international community is concerned about developments in Varosi, citing provocative and unacceptable actions by Turkey.
In a presidential statement, the UN Security Council condemned the July 20 statement, reaffirming Resolution 550 and Resolution 789, and that any attempt to settle any part of Varos by people other than its inhabitants was unacceptable and should not be taken in relation to with Varosha who do not agree with the resolutions. There was also mobilization by Cypriots from Britain and America to put pressure on Turkey by the leaders of the countries where they live. There have been several interventions by the US government towards Turkey.
In August, the Turkish President announces an international conference on Varos, and the President of the Republic declares that the Turkish provocation has no end.
In response to the actions of Turkey-Turkey, the Council of Ministers in Troodos in August decided to revoke 14 passports of the Republic of Cyprus by "officials" of the pseudo-state and members of the "commission for the opening of Varos", as well as the filing of the 5th Transnational Appeal European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) against Turkish plans for Varosi.
In a letter in October, President Anastasiadis denounced to the UN Secretary General the new unilateral and illegal actions of Turkey in the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus, in the enclosed area of Famagusta and in Karpasia, where the "ministerial council" in the occupied territories granted land to him. for military installation.
Tripartite and Bilateral Cooperations
A year of trilateral and bilateral cooperation and meetings in 2021, while the presence of the Republic of Cyprus with the President, Nikos Anastasiadis at the 4th Paris Peace Forum, at the Conference on Libya organized by the French President, Emanuel Macron in Paris, stands out.
The President of the Republic also participated in the tripartite Cyprus-Greece-Jordan Summit in Athens in July. At the beginning of September, the first Cyprus-Egypt Intergovernmental Summit took place in Kairo, in the presence of Nikos Anastasiadis and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which was considered as a new chapter in the relations between the two countries. The 9th Cyprus-Greece-Egypt Summit was held in Athens in the autumn, with the three countries expressing strong support for a solution based on UN resolutions.
The 8th Tripartite Summit, Cyprus - Greece - Israel, took place in Jerusalem in December, in the presence of the Heads of State. The solution to the Cyprus problem will contribute to regional stability, he said in the Joint Declaration. Strong messages of cooperation and support from the contacts of President Anastasiadis with the President and Prime Minister of Israel.
In April, a tripartite meeting of the Ministers of Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon was held in Athens, and the first quadripartite meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United Arab Emirates was held in Paphos. The first bilateral meeting of high-ranking delegations of Cyprus-Jordan took place in Larnaca in June. A tripartite meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus - Greece - Israel took place in Israel in August.
The first quadripartite meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus, Greece, Egypt and France took place in November in Athens.
The joint Cyprus-China Declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership was also announced in November. This happened after a telephone conversation between the Presidents of the two countries on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and China.
Upgraded American and French presence on the island
At the beginning of 2021, the construction of the building facilities of the regional Center for Security Training CYCLOPS (Cyprus Center for Land, Open Seas and Port Security), in Larnaca, started at a cost of 5 million dollars, donated by the US government, while the land was given by KD. The cornerstone was laid in the presence of US Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf.
Cyprus and the US also signed a Declaration of Intent to strengthen their co-operation in the field of Border Security.
Also in May, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French navy, sailed to the port of Limassol. The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was also found in Limassol in July.
At the end of August, the President of the Republic honored the US Senator and Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, with the Order of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Blessed Sacrament. to leave Cyprus.
Parliamentary Elections
Parliamentary elections were held on May 30. The abstention was increased and for the first time in the history of KD we have a seven-party parliament. The participation rate amounted to 65,72%. They entered the Parliament in order based on the results: DISY, AKEL, DIKO, ELAM, EDEK, Democratic Party and the Ecologists 'Movement - Citizens' Cooperation.
This was followed for the first time by the election of a woman Speaker of Parliament, Annita Dimitriou, who was nominated by DISY and supported by her party, the Democratic Party and ELAM in the second round of voting.
Processes for the Presidential
December 2021 was the informal start of the process for the presidential elections of 2023. Already, the President of DISY Averof Neophytou announced his intention to be a candidate and his candidacy will be judged through the procedures of his party. At the same time, information suggests that Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis is also interested in the high office. Processes seem to have started in AKEL as well, while the other parties are slowly starting to move in this direction. The President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis clarified once again that he will not be a candidate again.
Reshuffle
On June 22, after the resignation of Emily Giolitis and the intention of the resignation of Konstantinos Ioannou, the President of the Republic proceeded to a reshuffle for the second time during his second term. Stefi Drakou was appointed Minister of Justice and Public Order, Michalis Hadjipandelas Minister of Health was appointed Minister, Marios Pelekanos was appointed Government Spokesperson, Niovi Parisinou was appointed Deputy Government Spokesperson and Anasthosia was appointed Deputy Minister of Social Affairs.
Andreas Iosif was appointed Director of the President's Press Office, while Viktoras Papadopoulos took over responsibility for international press and enlightenment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Panagiotis Sentonas was appointed to the position of Citizen Commissioner, who replaced the institution of Volunteer Commissioner.
Historic visit of the Pope to Cyprus
2021 was also marked by the visit of Pope Francis, which lasted two days and sent loud messages from Cyprus to the whole world both on immigration and on building peace on the island and in the region.
They passed away V. Lyssaridis, Claire Angelidou and Nikos Rolandis
Three politicians with a historic contribution to the place, passed away in 2021 in Cyprus.
The emblematic former President of EDEK and Speaker of Parliament, Vassos Lyssaridis, the former Minister and former President of the Liberal Party, Nikos Rolandis and the former Minister, educator and writer, Claire Angelidou.
KYPE source