The President of the Republic of Cyprus described the conclusions concerning Cyprus as particularly important in statements early Friday morning, after the all-night session of the European Council in Brussels.
"I want to welcome the reference, for the first time, to the need for close cooperation between the European Council and Mr. Hahn," emphasized President Christodoulides.
"Let me remind you that it was a goal that we had set from the beginning, a goal that some considered to be utopian. Not only was the appointment made, but we also have this specific reference to the need for the European Council to cooperate with Mr. Hahn, who has already initiated contacts with several member states of the European Union," he said.
As he stated, he considers "also important the reference - in the current situation - in the context of a solution to the Cyprus problem, to the role of Turkey, to the obligations of Cyprus, as well as the reference to the enclosed area of Famagusta."
He further emphasized that "all of this, of course, we will utilize in the ongoing effort to restart the talks."
When asked about the statements of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in which he considers Cyprus an obstacle to European-Turkish relations, the President was clear. "First, let me mention that I have read Mr. Fidan's statements, statements regarding the two-state aspect, statements which are very unfortunate," he pointed out.
"Furthermore, I would like to inform you that there was a considerable discussion (during the European Council meeting) on the issue of enlargement. None of the participants in the discussion, apart from the Republic of Cyprus, mentioned Turkey's accession process," he stressed.
He then clarified that the only intervention regarding Turkey's accession process was made by him, stating that "the Republic of Cyprus will support its institutional role as the Presidency of the Council. And in fact, expressing our national position that we want to see concrete progress in Euro-Turkish, if and as long as Turkey wishes for progress."
He added that he referred to public statements in discussions with some members of the European Council regarding the possibility of Turkish officials participating, and at the level of the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of European Affairs in informal meetings that will take place during the Cyprus Presidency.
