German Chancellor Angela Merkel has highlighted that the Cyprus problem talks must resume away from any threats and blackmail, Cypriot government spokesperson Nicos Christodoulides said in a written statement issued on Tuesday, just four days ahead of President Nicos Anastasiades’ visit to Athens. “The President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, had a telephone communication with German Chancellor Angela Merkel late in the afternoon today,» Christodoulides said in his written statement. As he further explained, “the President and the Chancellor discussed issues that concern the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Germany, the European Union as well as regional matters.” Moreover, Christodoulides said that the Cypriot President briefed the German Chancellor on developments in regards to the Cyprus problem. On her behalf, “Mrs. Merkel stressed that the dialogue on the Cyprus problem needs to take place away from threats and blackmail, so that through the appropriate atmosphere and a sincere dialogue, the prospects for a positive conclusion can be created,” the Cypriot government spokesperson concluded. It should be noted that yesterday it became known that the Cypriot President is scheduled to travel to Athens on Friday, April 17, in order to brief the country’s political leadership ahead of the scheduled resumption of the United Nations-backed bicommunal talks in what is characterized as “one of the most decisive phases of the Cyprus problem.” Anastasiades is expected to explain to his newly elected Greek counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and leaders of parliamentary represented parties -except the Nazi-inspired Golden Dawn- that he is willing to return to the negotiation table with the Turkish-Cypriot side under the condition that Turkey will commit itself not to proceed to any further “offensive actions,” that there will not be any “other terms” and the talks will resume from “where they were stopped” before the interruption due to Turkish provocations.
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