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| Ioannis Kasoulides, FM, Cyprus (left), Paolo Gentiloni, FM, Italy |
Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Monday that critical elements of the Cyprus negotiations had not yet advanced to such a point “where we can see a light at the end of the tunnel”.
Kasoulides was speaking after meeting with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni in Nicosia where they discussed the Cyprus issue, energy, Brexit, terrorism, migration and Turkey-EU relations.
Asked if a solution to the Cyprus problem was possible within 2016, Kasoulides expressed the hope that it could be.
“It is not certain, because essential issues like the one of the question of the guarantees has not yet advanced to such a point, where we can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
“The territorial issue has not been discussed yet. But if we manage to agree on these, why not? We shall have to wait for the next months to see how it progresses”.
Gentiloni also weighed in, saying it was his understanding that substantial progress had been achieved so far “but it is always the last period” that can be tricky when complicated issues were involved, he said.
Commenting on whether Italy believed Cyprus needed foreign guarantees post-solution, Gentiloni said: “We have to find a solution that first of all should be a Cyprus-owned solution; not a solution coming from outside, but a solution coming from an agreement among Cyprus communities.
“We need an international solution, shared by Cyprus communities, without foreign interventions. This is one of the most delicate aspects of the negotiation.”
Gentiloni said he would be visiting Turkey in the coming weeks and he would put across the Italian contribution to the diplomatic effort to finally find a Cyprus solution.
He also expressed the conviction that a peaceful agreement in Cyprus would be an extraordinarily good message for Europe, especially in economics given the potential for energy cooperation, which would become even stronger after an agreement.
It would also be a good political message for Europe, something the bloc needed at this time. Cyprus could be an example of co-existence of different communities and religions within Europe.
Both ministers had agreed, Kasoulides said, that although bilateral relations were already excellent, they would work together to build on that.
Energy was one area where this was possible. “I conveyed to my colleague our belief that with the presence of the Italian companies ENI and EDISON in the Eastern Mediterranean, Italy could play an important role in the energy developments in our region and contribute to the policy of cooperation and synergies pursued by the Cyprus government,” said Kasoulides.
Kasoulides said ENI, with its existing interests in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone, would be in Cyprus for many years to come. It might also tender for new blocks should the government issue future licensing rounds. “This ties Cyprus to Italy even further, apart from Mediterranean Sea and the European factor that unite us,” he added.
Gentiloni also mentioned the potential of further cooperation. “Energy and especially natural gas can be a driver for regional cooperation in Eastern Mediterranean,” he said.
“ENI is committed to Cyprus and is also working in new tenders. It is already committed and also in other countries in the region. The proximity of these natural gas discoveries is very interesting and could be translated in common approaches in the next years. We have huge potential here, but then again an agreement on the Cyprus problem will help to also give a boost to regional energy cooperation,” he said.
Kasoulides conveyed condolences from Cyprus to Italy in the wake of the devastating earthquake in August that killed hundreds of people. He also thanked Italy for its assistance during the Solea fires in Cyprus in June.
Gentiloni also crossed to the north on Monday for a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
SOURCE
Kasoulides was speaking after meeting with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni in Nicosia where they discussed the Cyprus issue, energy, Brexit, terrorism, migration and Turkey-EU relations.
Asked if a solution to the Cyprus problem was possible within 2016, Kasoulides expressed the hope that it could be.
“It is not certain, because essential issues like the one of the question of the guarantees has not yet advanced to such a point, where we can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
“The territorial issue has not been discussed yet. But if we manage to agree on these, why not? We shall have to wait for the next months to see how it progresses”.
Gentiloni also weighed in, saying it was his understanding that substantial progress had been achieved so far “but it is always the last period” that can be tricky when complicated issues were involved, he said.
Commenting on whether Italy believed Cyprus needed foreign guarantees post-solution, Gentiloni said: “We have to find a solution that first of all should be a Cyprus-owned solution; not a solution coming from outside, but a solution coming from an agreement among Cyprus communities.
“We need an international solution, shared by Cyprus communities, without foreign interventions. This is one of the most delicate aspects of the negotiation.”
Gentiloni said he would be visiting Turkey in the coming weeks and he would put across the Italian contribution to the diplomatic effort to finally find a Cyprus solution.
He also expressed the conviction that a peaceful agreement in Cyprus would be an extraordinarily good message for Europe, especially in economics given the potential for energy cooperation, which would become even stronger after an agreement.
It would also be a good political message for Europe, something the bloc needed at this time. Cyprus could be an example of co-existence of different communities and religions within Europe.
Both ministers had agreed, Kasoulides said, that although bilateral relations were already excellent, they would work together to build on that.
Energy was one area where this was possible. “I conveyed to my colleague our belief that with the presence of the Italian companies ENI and EDISON in the Eastern Mediterranean, Italy could play an important role in the energy developments in our region and contribute to the policy of cooperation and synergies pursued by the Cyprus government,” said Kasoulides.
Kasoulides said ENI, with its existing interests in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone, would be in Cyprus for many years to come. It might also tender for new blocks should the government issue future licensing rounds. “This ties Cyprus to Italy even further, apart from Mediterranean Sea and the European factor that unite us,” he added.
Gentiloni also mentioned the potential of further cooperation. “Energy and especially natural gas can be a driver for regional cooperation in Eastern Mediterranean,” he said.
“ENI is committed to Cyprus and is also working in new tenders. It is already committed and also in other countries in the region. The proximity of these natural gas discoveries is very interesting and could be translated in common approaches in the next years. We have huge potential here, but then again an agreement on the Cyprus problem will help to also give a boost to regional energy cooperation,” he said.
Kasoulides conveyed condolences from Cyprus to Italy in the wake of the devastating earthquake in August that killed hundreds of people. He also thanked Italy for its assistance during the Solea fires in Cyprus in June.
Gentiloni also crossed to the north on Monday for a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
SOURCE
