In Geneva we will do everything possible to achieve a positive result, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday referring to an enlarged meeting there later this month on Cyprus talks.

Speaking after a memorial service, he said “we were informed last night by the United Nations secretariat about the programme on March 17 and 18”.

Official invitations are expected to be sent and announcements made this week.

He said he has been informed about the discussions between the Greek foreign minister and the UN Secretary General and “we are going to Geneva with only one goal: to achieve a positive result.

“And a positive outcome cannot be anything other than the resumption of talks or coming close to resuming talks.”

Asked about the Turkish Cypriot side’s insistence on two states, he said “the President of the European Council, Mr Costa, had a telephone conversation with Mr Erdogan. They discussed three issues. The Syrian problem, developments in Ukraine and the Cyprus problem.”

He expressed the EU’s readiness to strengthen Turkey’s ties with the EU, and said he has been told personally that these refers to developments in the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed settlement framework.

“So it is up to Turkey whether there will be positive developments or not,” Christodoulides said.

“What I want to say, going into this extended conference with absolute seriousness, is that from our side we will do everything possible to achieve a positive result.”

The enlarged meeting will include representatives from the three guarantor powers and the UN in addition to the island’s two sides.