President Mustafa Akıncı has said that that if a solution is reached on the island, and the Turkish Cypriot people become one of the constituent states and equal partners of a new partnership, “serious work” is needed to ensure the harmonization of the TRNC institutions with the EU acquis. Akıncı said, “When we reach a solution, we want the Euro to go into circulation from the first day”

Making a statement after his meetings with Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels, Akıncı said that he address the issues in detail at the meeting with Juncker. Akıncı said that they discussed the reasons for the deadlock in the negotiation process and why these are important for the Turkish Cypriots, as well as the framework for the new negotiation process that will begin on Tuesday.

He said, “In the forthcoming process, we will try to make progress on the important issues regarding the Cyprus issue. We will try to achieve greater rapprochements on these matters and I hope the Geneva conference will resume with EU in attendance as an observer. The EU has confirmed that it is ready to sustain its relations with the Turkish Cypriot side”.

Stating that the communication channels between the EU and the Turkish Cypriot people will always be open, Akıncı expressed that both meetings were constructive and fruitful.

President Akıncı also met with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Jonathan Cohen. At the meeting, the President explained the reasons the  negotiation process has stalled and the stance of the Turkish Cypriot side. Akıncı also added that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready for the resumption of the negotiations on Tuesday, 11th of April, if circumstances develop positively. Cohen, for his part, stated that the US is ready to provide all kinds of support for the solution of the Cyprus problem upon request.