“The two-state solution that the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey are proposing is unacceptable to the international community,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed in an interview on Real FM 97.8 with Nikos Chatzinikolaou.Commenting on the five-sided meeting in Geneva, Mr. Varvitsiotis underscored that the two-state solution is outside the framework of the UN Security Council resolutions, which provide for the creation of a bizonal, bicommunal federation. At the same time, he said, “it is outside the EU framework,” noting that any other prospect for Cyprus would essentially legitimise the illegal invasion and occupation. He also stated that Europe has spoken on the Cyprus issue many times, most recently at the March meeting of the European Council. He also pointed out that the EU officially requested to attend the five-sided talks as an observer in order to ensure that any solution is compatible with the European acquis, but that, unfortunately, the request was denied.Finally, asked whether Ankara will seek retaliation on the communication level following the Dendias-Cavusoglu press conference, the Alternate Minister stressed that the communication aspect is the least of Greece’s concerns. “We are more concerned with whether Turkey will continue to show – in the field, at least – the signs of de-escalations it has shown since December,” he noted, adding that, at this time, Turkey does not have much room to ‘play’ on the communication level, especially after sofagate. “I think this is the time when Turkey has to show that it is serious, responsible and sincere towards the European institutions, respecting the European acquis,” he said. He concluded by pointing out that Turkey remains on the agenda for the next meeting of the European Council, in June, so that any positive agenda will be reassessed in light of the consistency of Turkey’s stance.
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