Greek PM Tsipras unlikely to take part in Cypriot peace talks in Geneva

With the International peace talks on the Cypriot problem under way in Geneva, Switzerland, the participation of the Greek PM Alexis Tsipras still remains unclear. Currently the parties attending the meerting include the President of the Cypriot Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, the leader of the Turkish-Cypriot community, Mustafa Akinci and the UN’s special adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide. Following his meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, where he discussed the developments on the Cypriot issue, Mr. Tsipras stressed the final result of the talks depended on both sides involved. “We will exhaust every possibility, until the last minute, in order to reach a solution”, the Greek PM told reporters upon exiting the Presidential residence. He reiterated the expressed and long-standing position of Greece to support a just and sustainable solution to the problem within the framework of the UN resolutions and the reality of the Cypriot Republic’s capacity as a full member-state of the EU. “It is a capacity that strengthens Greece’s arguments that there can be no solution-plan that will offer the opportunity to third countries to have interventionary rights, occupation forces, and in any case a solution that can only be for the benefit of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, which means a solution that is sustainable, functional and will alleviate any fears for the Cypriot people”, Tsipras stressed. On the prospect of the Greek PM taking part in the process in Geneva, the Cypriot government’s spokesperson, Nikos Christodoulides said he did not see it as plausible under the current conditions.