South Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides has said, once more, that Maras/Varosha should be returned as a confidence building measure. In an interview with London Greek Radio on Friday, Kasoulides said that the fenced-off suburb of Famagusta should be returned under UN supervision before a referendum is held once the Cyprus negotiations are concluded.
He added that time was of the essence since the reconstruction of the suburb woud take time.
He pointed to Turkey’s EU accession bid and said that no chapters would be open “for free” and that it should respond accordingly.
Referring to the current negotiations, he said that: “The next step I believe will be to attempt to approach these differences or reduce these differences, and that is expected to be in April.”
President Eroglu has consistently said that the issue of Maras would be tackled at the end of the negotiations and that the area would not be handed over before that time.
A second meeting between the two Cypriot presidents has been arranged for 31st March.
