President Akıncı: “With lessons from the past and respect for our mutual rights, we can build the future”

President Mustafa Akıncı said that it would be very difficult to negotiate a solution while a presidential election campaign is taking place in South Cyprus. The campaign is due to commence in 2017. He expressed his belief that Nikos Anastasiades has to make a decision between being a Leader for his community and being one of the presidential candidates for 2018.

Speaking to BRT, Akıncı said that for the first time in the negotiation process, the two Leaders have come to an agreement regarding the year 2016. There remains work to be done, he added.

Akıncı stated: “We still haven’t discussed territory, guarantees & security issues but we have made important progress on the other four chapters: the economy, the EU, property and governance & power sharing”. By 29 July, all issues except those relating to security & guarantees will have been taken up at the multi-party conference, he noted.

Akıncı also affirmed that both parties agreed it was still too early to talk about any proposed new border.

Referring to the natural gas reserves on the island, President Akıncı said that several international companies are planning to restart drilling in 2017 and warned that this could lead to new tensions, if mishandled.