The European Union does not want, nor can it, replace the United Nations Organization in the solution of the Cyprus problem, said on Monday the General Secretary of AKEL, Stefanos Stefanou, who noted that the EU is certainly interested in helping and wants the Cyprus problem to be solved, because it is also its own problem, however, it will not, nor can it, play the role of the UN.
Asked in the Parliament, in relation to the proposal of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, for more active EU involvement in the Cyprus issue, Mr. Stefanou stated that "there are many things that are unclear", to add that "the first thing that is unclear is what recommends the position or the intention of the President for more active involvement of the EU, at a time when the EU is not actively involved in the Cyprus issue, bearing in mind that in all the important appointments and important meetings of the Cyprus issue - which took place in recent years, but also earlier - the EU was present."
According to Stefanos Stefanou, his party expects to be informed by the President of the Republic, so that he can responsibly state his opinion, regarding any ideas that the President of the Republic puts forth.
"We have clear proposals on how the President should proceed in the Cyprus issue, however, I think it is much more rational to wait for the briefing that the President will give us to the National Council, which as I have been informed will take place on March 30. We will ask for an update there. We have our questions and at the same time we will say our opinions", said Mr. Stefanou.
When asked by a journalist if there is a prospect for the EU to actually become active in the Cyprus issue, because until now it had an observer role, AKEL's General Secretary stated that "the EU has decisions and conclusions in its European Councils in 2020 and 2021", to add that "the EU neither wants nor can replace the UN in the solution of the Cyprus problem".
"She is certainly interested in helping," he said, "and she wants the Cyprus issue to be resolved, because it is also her problem, but she will not and cannot play the role of the UN."
Mr. Stefanou said that "from then on in relation to the rest, although we have opinions, we will wait for information from the PtD, so that we can more responsibly comment on any ideas the President has, which we have not seen yet in specific content".
Referring, further, to the more active involvement of the EU in the Cyprus issue, he said that he expects the PtD to be informed in relation to what more the EU will have compared to what it has today and what the PtD means for the utilization of Euro-Turkish relations in relation to the Cypriot.
He noted that when they are informed at the National Council there they will say their views, however, he said that for the time being he will not engage in any further discussions.
“Allow me to stay here. I don't want to do injustice to the President. Not even to have theoretical discussions. Things are very specific. Just as they stayed in Crans Montana in 2017 and just as the UN Security Council for four consecutive years has been telling everyone involved that the UN's position is to continue negotiations, where they left off in 2017, to continue negotiations on the basis of Guterres framework, preserving the convergences", said the AKEL General Secretary.
Source: KYPE