Secretary-General Calls on Cypriot Leaders to Achieve ‘Tangible Progress’ as Full-Fledged Negotiations Resume

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the resumption of full-fledged negotiations between the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı scheduled for 15 May under the facilitation of his Special Adviser, Espen Barth Eide.

With the momentum continuing to build for a solution to the long-standing division of the island, the Secretary-General salutes the commitment of the leaders to move forward without delay, in a constructive and dedicated manner, as expressed during the dinner hosted by Special Adviser Eide on 11 May.

The Secretary-General calls on the leaders to seize this opportunity to achieve tangible progress towards a comprehensive settlement that would clearly benefit both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

The Secretary-General reiterates his commitment to supporting the leaders in their efforts to achieve a mutually agreed comprehensive settlement based on the Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014 and in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.