Diplomatic flurry ahead of Cyprus summit

As reunification talks between rival Cypriot leaders are set to resume tomorrow, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is preparing for a series of meetings with Greek political party leaders in the runup to the crucial multilateral summit on January 12, while UN Special Adviser for Cyprus Espen Barth Eide and British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Alan Duncan are both expected in Athens this week for talks with Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias.

The meetings will come on the heels of last Friday’s talks in Athens – between Tsipras, Kotzias, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, and Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides – which focused on two basic themes: to ensure that Greece and the Greek Cypriots do not get the blame if the summit fails to produce a result, and, secondly, to discuss the legal profile of the Republic of Cyprus at the summit, and after, presuming there is a settlement.

As part of this flurry of diplomatic activity, Kotzias heads to New York on Thursday for talks with new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about Cyprus ahead of the Geneva summit.

In the bid to form the broadest possible political consensus at home, Tsipras will hold individual meetings, beginning on Monday, with New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, PASOK chief Fofi Genimata, Greek Communist Party (KKE) general secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas, To Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis, Union of Centrists president Vassilis Leventis, and the head of Independent Greeks (ANEL), Panos Kammenos.