The UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide is expected to meet with President Nicos Anastasiades late this afternoon at the Presidential Palace, ‘Cyprus Mail’ reports.
Eide, who arrived on the island on Monday will also be meeting President Dervis Eroglu and both negotiators on Wednesday.
The spokesman of the UN Good Offices Mission Michel Bonnardeaux has told the Cyprus News Agency that the UN official is waiting for an official response to his proposal on how to deal with the hydrocarbons issue. Eide proposed a process whereby an advisory panel would be set up to deal with technical aspects of managing natural gas and energy in a reunified island, in parallel with the peace negotiations.
Responding to a comment that the Greek Cypriot side had rejected the proposal in a meeting of the political leaders’ council, chaired by President Anastasiades, Bonnardeaux said that “it’s been rejected publicly, but nobody sat down and explained to him, so I think he’ll be looking for that.”
Eide will also be meeting the leaders of the Greek Cypriot political parties and in the North he will meet with leaders of the two main Turkish Cypriot political parties – CTP and UPB.
He is scheduled to leave the island on Friday.
