Nicosia, Oct 21 (CNA) – President of the Republic Demetris Christofias is going to New York for his meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in a creative and constructive spirit, and will defend the principles on which the settlement of the Cyprus problem must be based, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said after the meeting of the National Council held on Friday.

Stephanou noted that President Christofias informed the member of the National Council about the course of the ongoing negotiations on the Cyprus problem, underlining that during the intensive negotiations, President Christofias fully fulfilled the commitments he had undertaken during his meeting in Geneva with Ban and Eroglu in July, 2011, “so that our side maintains a constructive position at the talks and to maximize the potentials of achieving progress, through the achievement of new convergences.”

Stephanou also reiterated Christofias’ position that “we are not going to accept and we do not accept processes of arbitration and timetables, which were implemented in the past and proved to be fruitless.”

“The President of the Republic is going to New York to participate at the meeting with the Secretary General, in a creative and constructive spirit, and will defend the principles on which the settlement of the Cyprus problem must be based,” Stephanou noted.

He recalled that during the Geneva meeting in July, the UN Secretary General had asked for the intensification of the negotiations and the achievement of more convergences, setting out two conditions: firstly the commitment of the two sides on the agreed basis for a settlement of the Cyprus problem, which is the bicommunal, bizonal federation and secondly their commitment on the convergences and the nearly reached convergences at the negotiations.”

“The President of the Republic fully fulfilled these commitments during this period of the intensive negotiations so that our side maintains a constructive stance at the talks and to maximize potentials with a view to achieve progress, by reaching new convergences,” Stephanou underlined, adding that “the President of the Republic will develop the views and the assessments of the Greek Cypriot side about the course of the negotiations at the meeting with the Secretary General.”

He also recalled that President Christofias’ position regarding the negotiating process was expressed before the beginning of the negotiations. “The aim is to reach an agreed settlement on the basis of the UN resolutions, the international and European law principles and the High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979 between the leaders of the two communities,” he noted.

He added that President Christofias made it clear from the beginning and insists on the position that “we are not going to accept and we do not accept processes of arbitration and deadlines which were implemented in the past and proved to be fruitless.”

Invited to say if the Turkish Cypriot side has fulfilled the conditions set out by the Secretary General, Stephanou said that these conditions concerned both sides and both of them expressed their commitment to fulfill them.

He noted that the views of the Greek Cypriot side as regards whether the Turkish Cypriot side has fulfilled these commitments have been repeatedly expressed publicly during the negotiations and by President Christofias in his speech before the UN General Assembly. Our position is that the Turkish Cypriot side has not been consistent in fulfilling these commitments, he added.

Stephanou noted that President Christofias will express his views on this issue as well as on other issues during the meeting with the Secretary General.

Responding to a remark that UN Secretary General’s Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer expressed different views as regards the talks, the Spokesman noted that everyone is allowed to express his own positions and assessments and reiterated that the President will express and substantiate the positions, assessments and views of the Greek Cypriot side during the meeting with the Secretary General.

Invited to comment on the fact that Eroglu is optimistic that an agreement will be reached during the New York meeting, the spokesman wished that it will be possible to reach a settlement of the Cyprus problem, noting that the settlement must be consistent to certain parameters and have a certain content, as provided in the UN resolutions and especially resolution 1251 to which the UN Secretary General has referred.

Responding to another question, Stephanou recalled that the process provides for the achievement of an agreed settlement, and so the agreement of both sides is needed.

Our positions regarding the pursued settlement are crystal clear and these are the positions which we have been outlining, he noted.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. UN led talks have been underway since 2008 with an aim to reunify the island under a federal roof.

President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu will meet with UN SG Ban Ki-moon in New York at the end of October in the context of the ongoing process.

The leaders had a meeting with UNSG in Geneva on 7 July, during which they had agreed to enter into an intensive period of negotiations on the core issues of the Cyprus problem.