Anastasiades meeting negotiating team

President Nicos Anastasiades was meeting on Thursday with the members of the negotiating team ahead of the informal five-party summit on the Cyprus problem, government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos said.

Speaking to state broadcaster CyBC, Koushos said that goal of the meeting with the negotiating team was to define each member’s role.

Following speculation about the composition of the negotiating team, a source told the Cyprus News Agency, that the president was meeting with the team that has supported the previous negotiation processes.

On Wednesday, Anastasiades met with another team, the source said, which has been asked to study some important issues in preparation for the five-party summit to be convened by the UN Secretary-General. The summit is expected to take place in March though the exact date and time have not been yet announced.

Koushos said that the Greek Cypriot side has thoroughly prepared to curb the Turkish side’s plans for a two-state solution.

The aim of the president, he said, is to address any ambitions that go beyond the United Nations resolutions and the principles and values ​​of the European Union.

He added that Anastasiades has set up a team specialised in constitutional issues in order to deal effectively with any issues that may arise. This team of experts will assist the work of the president and negotiating team, Koushos said.

In the coming days, he said, the constitutional law experts will prepare a final document, “which will be a tool in the hands of the president”, in view of the upcoming negotiations.