Greece wants to talk security before Cyprus conference

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said Greece and Turkey should first come to an agreement on the aspects of security and guarantees, before a new Conference on Cyprus is convened.

Speaking on radio station Sto Kokkino in Greece, the minister said Athens had previously underlined the need for such an agreement before the parties met in Geneva and subsequently in Crans Montana last year.

The foreign minister pointed fingers at the former UN special advisor, Espen Barth Eide, saying the Norwegian diplomat was the reason that preparatory work on Greece's proposal had been left incomplete. 

As a result, security and guarantees were discussed inter-connectedly with all other issues but the parties could not agree on a way forward. 

This is not the first time the Greek government has put forth such a proposal.

Kotzias has spoken against...