President Nikos Christodoulides will be travelling to New York later this month for the expanded meeting on the Cyprus problem without the political parties, it was announced on Thursday after the National Council meeting.

The expanded conference on the Cyprus problem will be held in New York on July 16 and 17, under UN auspices.

Reading a joint statement, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said it had been decided that the political parties participating in the National Council would not be travelling to New York for practical reasons, but would be in constant contact with the president, including via teleconference.

He explained that the meeting coincided with the anniversaries of the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Letymbiotis said the president informed the members of the National Council about efforts that followed the March meeting in Geneva and preparations in view of New York.

The Greek Cypriot side, he said, was “prepared and determined to contribute to the efforts of the UN secretary-general so that the resumption of negotiations from where they left off is feasible.”

Letymbiotis said a dinner would be hosted on July 16 and bilateral meetings would be held on July 17, followed by a plenary.

The spokesman was not in a position to say if EU envoy Johannes Hahn would be invited.

Meanwhile, the UN chief’s personal envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin will be in Cyprus on Sunday for meetings. She will be received by Christodoulides on Monday at 11am.

Replying to questions, Letymbiotis said discussions on the topics agreed on in March continued and that the aim was to mark progress in all six. He said progress had been made on the restoration of cemeteries and that discussions were ongoing regarding demining.

“The stance the other side is maintaining is well-known, particularly regarding the crossing points. Where there are any suggestions, of course they are welcome. We will certainly continue to be just as constructive as over the past period,” he added.

The opening of four crossing points had been discussed in March and Christodoulides had proposed for a pedestrian crossing to be opened in Nicosia, which Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar rejected, the spokesman reminded.

Letymbiotis pointed out the importance of resuming negotiations the soonest possible.

Asked about the upcoming elections in the north, Letymbiotis said Tatar had stepped up his rhetoric in view of the October polls, however “statements on the Turkish side had never left room for particular optimism”.

Letymbiotis also said Turkey’s EU course could play a role “and this is where there is the potential to make progress […] as long as there is progress in the Cyprus problem as well.”

Speaking after Thursday’s meeting, Elam MP Linos Papayiannis said his party disagreed with a number of issues at the National Council.

“We believe Turkish aspirations will remain the same. On the other hand, we cannot but stress that our aim is to secure Cyprus’ legitimate rights,” he said.

Papayiannis also said the fact that the political parties would not be accompanying the president to New York was of no consequence to Elam.

“We would not have followed the president of the Republic anyway,” he said.

On Wednesday, the UN chief’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that, “following the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format that was held in Geneva on March 17 and 18 March of this year, the secretary-general will convene in New York, at the UN headquarters on July 16 and 17, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as representatives of the guarantor powers of Greece, the United Kingdom and Turkey, for another informal meeting on Cyprus.” 

“The meeting will provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress made since the meeting in March,” he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17 and 18.

The two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, involving the opening of crossing points, the creation of a Technical Committee on Youth and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.

The UN and the EU announced envoys for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin and Johannes Hahn respectively.

The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively.