VALLETTA â This is the last opportunity for the reunification of Cyprus, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday, explaining why he will be going to Geneva where delicate talks on the future of the divided island are being held.
âI took a personal interest in the reunification issue of Cyprus,â he said at a press conference in Valletta for the opening of the Maltese presidency. âI really think, without overdramatizing what is happening in Geneva, that it is the very last chance to see the island [reunified].â
Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader and the countryâs internationally recognized president, and Mustafa Akıncı, president of the self-declared Turkish Cypriot state, have negotiated for more than 18 months in the run-up to the current talks.
On Thursday, the two leaders will be joined by foreign ministers from Greece, Turkey and the U.K., the three guarantors of the Mediterranean island after London granted it independence in 1960.
If negotiations go well, it is possible that U.K Prime Minister Theresa May will also attend alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Juncker, for his part, is flying to Geneva on Thursday morning. âIt’s the duty of the president of the European Commission to be there,â he said. âIt’s risky. But when it’s about peace, you have to take the risk.â
The complicated talks include discussions of territorial trade-offs and the presence of about 30,000 Turkish soldiers who have been on the island since 1974 when Turkey invaded after a Greek coup. Any deal on reunification is expected to be put to a referendum later this year.
Diplomats stress that reunification would provide the EU with a much sought after success story and that a peace deal on the island could also have a positive wider impact on the Middle East.
Espen Barth Eide, the Special Adviser on Cyprus for the U.N. Secretary-General, was more cautious than Juncker. âIs it the last chance? Well, thatâs the kind of thing that historians will know best in 100 years, and I generally think … one should be a little bit careful,â the former Norwegian foreign minister told reporters in Geneva when asked about Junckerâs comments.
However, he added: âI do not see what one would be gaining from waiting. So, in that sense, let me [express] strong sympathy for what Mr. Juncker says without necessarily wanting to issue a statement on behalf of future historians.â
Sara Stefanini contributed to this article