Front Page Headlines
That’s how the Cyprus import fraud was set up
Politis reveals Tal Dilian’s application to Customs for the van. The spy equipment was dubbed as meteorological and Customs gave permission (for the import). Andros Kyprianou softened somewhat after yesterday’s meeting with Nicos Anastasiades.
- LNG: The president took over
Uncertainty over the day after
Everything is open at Monday’s dinner, but Guterres, Anastasiades, Akinci keep their cards close to their chest. Intervention by the Security Council and call for a compromising spirit.
- Five Turkish drillings in 2020
- They proceed with an agreement on LNG at Vassilikos
AKEL calls for an independent probe
AKEL’s leader called yesterday for the appointment of an independent committee by the Attorney-general for everything that has been reported on the spy van. The call is because it seems there has been some sort of cooperation between the police and the company that owns the spy van. “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion,” he said.
- Only Ms Lute will be with the UNSG at the trilateral
‘Police link to spy van’
AKEL leader: force has collaboration with company under investigation.
- Bicommunal rally calls for resumption of Cyprus talks
Fake newsand mudslinging by AKEL
DISY reveals with evidence efforts to implicate Averof Neophytou in the van case. President: “The probe over the case continues and I will never tolerate the violation of anyone’s privacy, citizen or politician.”
- The president sees Berlin as an opportunity – Clear message by president Anastasiades before Monday’s trilateral. An important statement by the Security Council. It supports Guterres and the BBF (bizonal, bicommunal federation) and expects a “compromising spirit”.
- Rally – message to the two leaders
Main News
Anastasiades goes to the Berlin meeting determined for progress
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Nicosia expects that Monday’s meeting between the two leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is an opportunity to discuss the next steps, the papers report.
The dailies report that Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Friday that Monday’s meeting in Berlin is an important opportunity for the parties to see what the next steps should be.
“The president is treating it as an opportunity where the UN Secretary-General will examine with the two leaders what the next steps should be.” He added that the GC side’s position is that common ground can be found for the resumption of the talks and soon afterwards there can be an informal meeting with the participation of the guarantor powers.
He also said Anastasiades is going to the Berlin meeting not just to keep the process going, but to start negotiations as soon as possible.
The papers also report that German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said the German government was in favour of the resumption of the UN-led process and supported the UN request to host the trilateral meeting. Burger clarified that Germany’s role would be restricted to etiquette, security and communication with the local authorities.
Phileleftheros, citing sources at the Presidential Palace, reports that the dinner will be split into two parts; initially it will be just the two leaders and Guterres and later on the negotiators might join, although this has not yet been clarified and it is not ruled out that it will be just the three of them.
Politis, also citing sources, reported that he GC side and partly the UN will avoid including in the document on the Terms of Reference or in any announcement details that could create concerns and misunderstanding on the next step, especially on the issue of political equality.
There is hope that common ground will be reached between the two sides based on contacts so far, the daily reports, adding that the GC side believes an informal meeting with the guarantor powers can also take place in the near future.
KEY ACTORS
Prodromou
>> Anastasiades sees the trilateral as an important opportunity for the parties to see what the next steps should be.
>> Anastasiades is going to the Berlin meeting not just to keep the process going, but to start negotiations as soon as possible.
>> The GC side believes that common ground can be found for the resumption of the talks & that an informal meeting with the participation of the guarantor powers can take place soon after the trilateral.
Burger (Germany)
>> Germany is in favour of the resumption of the UN-led process.
UNSC calls on two leaders to seize the opportunity
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the UN Security Council calls on the two sides to seize the opportunity of meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as regards efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
According to the dailies, the UN Security Council expressed their full support to ongoing efforts of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and encouraged the two leaders to use their meeting with the UNSG in order to renew their political will and commitment to a comprehensive settlement.
UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the
United Nations, Jonathan Allen, made a statement on behalf of the Security
Council Presidency after a briefing on the Secretary-General’s Good Offices
report on Cyprus, by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo.
“The members of the Security Council encouraged the leaders to build on
previous convergences and in a spirit of compromise to use this meeting to
renew their political will and commitment to a comprehensive settlement, based
on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation (BBF) with political equality as set out
in relevant Security Council resolutions” Allen said.
He added that the members of the Security Council encouraged all parties to make productive use of the coming period.
Asked under his national capacity about the expectations from this meeting, Allen said that “the fact that the two leaders will be getting together with the Secretary-General in the same room for the first time in over two years, is a positive development and I really hope that they can build on that conversation to agree on the way forward to resume negotiations and to be able to find ultimately a settlement. That’s our hope.”
Phileleftheros, citing diplomatic sources, reports DiCarlo implied during the briefing that there are difficulties in reaching an agreement on the Terms of Reference while she did not refer to the possibility of an informal five-party meeting but rather expressed hope that prospect would be given to the next stage as regards efforts for the restart of talks.
During the discussion, several of the representatives expressed concerns over the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, the situation in Famagusta and the blame game but there was no reference to the Turkish violations.
There were also references to the activities by the bicommunal technical committees, and there were calls for more confidence-building measures (CBMs). Two of the representatives also referred to the position expressed by the UNSG in his report on the need for direct contacts between the two communities in order to address and resolve problems, the daily reported.
KEY ACTORS
UN Security Council
>> Fully supports Guterres’ ongoing efforts on the Cyprob.
>> Encourages the two leaders to use their meeting with the UNSG in order to renew their political will and commitment to a comprehensive settlement based on a BBF with political equality in a spirit of compromise & to build on previous convergences.
>> Encourages all parties to make productive use of the coming period.
Allen (UK Deputy Rep to the UN)
>> The meeting is a positive development.
>> Hopes the two leaders will agree on the way forward to resume negotiations & be able to find a solution.