Negotiations resume on Friday

Starting date of the new negotiation process has been determined as 15 May Friday at the meeting which lasted for 2 hours between the leaders last night.

Negotiators of both sides Özdil Nami and Andreas Mavroyannis and UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Lisa Buttenheim were also present at the working dinner which has brought the two leaders together for the first time under the auspices of the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide. Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide made the following statements after the joint leaders’ dinner on Monday, 11 May 2015:

“Good evening.

Tonight’s dinner between the two leaders, Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akinci, accompanied by their negotiators, Mr. Ozdil Nami and Andreas Mavroiannis, and together with SRSG Lisa Butteneheim and myself, was conducted in a very positive atmosphere.

The two leaders developed and shared their vision for the future of Cyprus, in the spirit of the Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014. They agreed that it was important to use the momentum created, and this new opportunity to move forward without delay.

The leaders expressed their strong commitment, joint commitment, to move forward in a constructive and dedicated manner, and for that reason, they agreed to hold the first leaders’ meeting on Friday, 15 May, to go through a general exchange of views and to agree on the modalities for the structuring and frequency of the meetings.

I want to add from my side that I think this is a unique opportunity, an opportunity that will be grasped, and it is truly rewarding to work with two leaders with such a strong commitment to seeing a shared challenge that can only be solved through shared effort, to find a shared solution.  I very much look forward to the continuation. As you have understood, we will start working, and working hard, already in the morning on 15 May, this coming Friday. Thank you for the attention.”

President Akıncı expressed the following in a twitter message after the meeting:

“We have come together with Anastasiadis tonight. I consider that it has been a positive meeting and we have made a good start.”