Barth Eide

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has written a book on the recent Cyprus peace talks, in which he criticises UN envoy Espen Barth Eide and shares details and documents unseen by the public.

Kotzias, a former career chief diplomat, played a pivotal role in the latest round of Cyprus talks that ended up in failure last summer.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has dismissed criticism over his handling of the failed Cyprus reunification talks in Switzerland in July, saying he could not accept the presence of Turkish forces on the island as part of a settlement as that would only perpetuate the problem.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said on Monday that Greece is willing to continue participating in Cyprus reunification talks within the framework of proposals presented by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Crans-Montana peace conference in July.

A letter sent to President Nicos Anastasiades by UN chief Antonio Guterres confirms the international organization’s position that the Turkish-held fenced-off town of Varosha should open under UN-control.

And not under Turkish administration as it was widely speculated after the collapse of the UN-brokered Cyprus peace talks in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in July.

United Nations Cyprus mediator Espen Barth Eide has quit to pursue a political career in Norway, the United Nations said on Aug. 14, after U.N.- backed talks to broker peace between Greek and Turkish Cypriots ended in acrimony last month.

Following Espen Barth Eide, Stephane Dujarric the Secretary-General’s representative in New York also sent a message to the two leaders in Cyprus repeating that they need to reflect on the situation created, clearly indicating that they would be the ones to decide on the next steps regarding the Cyprus issue.

After a farewell meeting with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Thursday, outgoing United Nations envoy Espen Barth Eide said the reunification talks that collapsed last month at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana can only be revived through an agreement between both sides of the divide, and not the UN.

Espen Barth Eide has returned to Cyprus for the final time in his capacity as United Nations special envoy, as he plans to run in September elections in his native Norway.

Eide is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Thursday morning.

Espen Barth Eide returns to Cyprus Tuesday for the final time in his capacity as the United Nations special envoy as he plans to take part in September elections in his native Norway.

Beleaguered UN envoy Espen Barth Eide will come back to the island next week to say goodbye, informed sources told the Cyprus Weekly earlier this week.

“He is running for MP in his country’s elections, he can’t have it all, he is coming back for a farewell, there is nothing planned as far as the (UN-brokered reunification) talks are concerned,” an insider said on Thursday.