Statement by Alt. FM G. Katrougalos at the conclusion of his meetings with the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on the Cyprus issue

Statement by Alt. FM G. Katrougalos at the conclusion of his meetings with the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on the Cyprus issue, J.H. Lute, and with the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy on the name issue, M. Nimetz (New York, 12.12.2018)

Today, I had two very important meetings on important national issues with Jane Lute and with Matthew Nimetz, the most important issues that our country faces, as well as issues which generally pertain to International Law and the role of the United Nations: the Cyprus issue and the “Macedonian” issue.

With Ms. Lute, we affirmed our commitment to the need to resolve the Cyprus issue, based on the resolutions of the United Nations. I reiterated our well-known positions and the fact that the international dimension of the Cyprus issue cannot but take into consideration the progress made at Crans-Montana, which is reflected in the so-called Guterres framework. Of course, the Greek position remains that the Cyprus issue is a matter of implementing International Law and that the anachronistic system of guarantees can no longer be upheld.

With Mr. Nimetz, we affirmed our commitment, Greece’s commitment, to the spirit and letter of the Prespa Agreement, with the self-evident condition that this commitment is mutual, also on the part of the other side. We discussed on the progress and on certain issues that have arisen recently, and I thanked him for the significant contribution he has made to date in resolving this issue - I hope definitively.