There is no middle ground between legality and illegality, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said, adding that nothing will be discussed in terms of the Cyprus problem outside the agreed framework.

He also said the UN Secretary-General’s first impression of Nicosia’s proposal for three parallel negotiating tables on aspects of the Cyprus problem was particularly positive.

The first table would be based on the governance of a future Cyprus after a solution with representatives of the Greek Cypriot community, the Turkish Cypriot community and the UN sat around it.

The second would concern guarantees, and would comprise representatives of Cyprus’ two communities, the UN and guarantor powers Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The third would concern security and would comprise all those sat at the second table with the exception of the UK.

While he said the UNSG had reacted positively to the proposal, it remains to be seen whether he will adopt it if they reach the point of restarting talks.

In an interview with Kathimerini on Sunday, Kombos replied to a question on how the UNSG’s appeal to the two leaders to bridge differences was interpreted.

“There is no middle ground between legality and illegality. Illegality cannot be a landing zone. We are not discussing anything outside the agreed framework,” Kombos said.

Realistically speaking, he added, the UNSG could not be expected after the dinner which followed a long period of inactivity to comment on the compatibility of the positions of one side or the other with UN Security Council resolutions.

But, he said, this does not mean that “we limit our own positions and arguments on this issue.”

He described as positive the interest of the UN Secretary General at this juncture with two wars in progress.

Regarding the content of the extended meeting, he said the secretary general will convene it to see the next steps, however, there is the possibility that substantive issues will also be discussed.

He also said they believe the meeting will be five party, a position shared by Britain. Regarding the role of the EU, he said that when substantive negotiations begin, there are aspects on which the EU cannot be absent.