Iran calls for resumption of Cyprus talks

In a Monday statement, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the stance of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards Cyprus crisis remains unchanged as the country has always called for the integrity of Cyprus.

Ghasemi added that to this end, Iran has closely monitored the negotiations between the conflicting sides over the past two years and shared in due time its advisory guidelines with them after hearing their views.

"Last year, we offered to host the Cyprus talks in Tehran, and the two sides welcomed the offer,” Ghasemi went on to say.

The spokesperson also praised the two-year efforts made by the leaders of the conflicting sides as well as the UN Secretary General and senior EU officials to resolve the crisis, and expressed regret that the Crans-Montana talks ended in failure.

"However, we maintain that the agreements reached by the two sides during the past two years can provide them with the required capacity to press ahead with their talks to reach a final agreement,” he said.

He reminded the conflicting sides of their responsibilities and said the three guarantor states as well as the United Nations persist on resumption of talks to reach a deal on Cyprus. "The deal will in turn contribute to the regional peace and stability,” he added.

"Any final solution to this long-time issue must be based on the well-known international principles as well as the agreements between the two sides. The solution must recognize the cultural diversity of the island on the one hand and provide its residents with their legal rights on the other hand,” he noted.

Ghasemi said it goes without saying that innovative interactions between the conflicting sides can lead to the establishment of an efficient political and security framework changing in tandem with the latest international developments.

"Such a framework can lead them to an immediate solution to the crisis,” he added.

The spokesperson once again expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness to share its advisory guidelines with the conflicting sides and said talks based on a win-win strategy is the best solution to the Cyprus crisis.