Developments in the East Mediterranean and the Cyprus issue were discussed at a meeting on Wednesday between main opposition New Democracy (ND) shadow foreign minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos and Rosemary DiCarlo, United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
ND’s Koumoutsakos meets UN’s Rosemary DiCarlo in NYC
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
The meeting in New York was held in a very good climate and lasted about 45 minutes.
According to sources, the talks focused on developments in the East Mediterranean and the tension that Turkey has recently created, as well as on opportunities to relieve the current tension in the region.
Koumoutsakos stressed that there is no intention to exclude Turkey from developments, but Turkey has excluded itself because it does not accept the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Moreover, it does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its legitimate rights while cultivating tension in order to impose its presence.
He described this policy as counterproductive, as it does not lead anywhere. He also pointed out that Turkey currently has problems with all of its neighbors and all countries participating in regional initiatives. Therefore, messages to Turkey should be clearly conveyed in order to change its policy and allow it to play a more productive role.
Moreover, the ND official pointed out the need for very good preparatory work for the Cyprus talks to reach a positive result and he underlined that there is no need to rush or set technical timetables.
Koumoutsakos is in New York attending an Economist conference on energy developments and future investments in the East Mediterranean.
source: National Herald
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