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Foreign Minister Steinmeier on the resumption of the Cyprus talks
Foreign Minister Steinmeier made the following comments in Berlin this evening (8 January) on the resumption of the Cyprus negotiations in Geneva tomorrow:
The negotiations on reunification are now on the final straight. If a breakthrough were to be achieved, it would be great news not only for people in Cyprus but for Europe as a whole and the entire region.
I hope that particularly now at this stage the two sides will not lose heart and will resolutely seek compromises to the last remaining contentious issues. That will not be easy. However, the fact that the difficult security and guarantee issues are to be discussed now for the first time with the three guarantor powers Greece, Turkey and the UK is a good sign. We hope that the three guarantor powers are willing to play their part in finding a good solution and will help fulfil the will of the Cypriots, namely reunification.
Background information:
The UN Cyprus negotiations on the island’s reunification, which began in May 2015, have been conducted by both sides with great commitment and a readiness to compromise. However, the last round of negotiations in Mont Pélérin at Lake Geneva ended in November 2016, without a breakthrough.
