Anastasiades is under the pressure of the Greek Cypriot opposition

Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades on Wednesday reiterated his readiness to attend a joint meeting, if invited, with the UN Secretary-General and President Mustafa Akıncı in Switzerland later this month. Anastasiades said: “If invited I will certainly take part because the UNSG should be informed about the actual status of the talks; the progress achieved and the problems we have.”

 If it takes place, the meeting will be held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos between January 20 and 23.

 On the other hand, Greek Cypriot opposition politicians are anxious about this meeting. EDEK expressed concern over the move, saying the party was convinced that an attempt was underway to systematically upgrade the Turkish Cypriot state in the North.

 “This meeting cannot be justified from the moment Anastasiades is invited in his capacity as the ‘President’ and Mr. Akinci is invited under a completely different capacity,” EDEK chairman Marinos Sizopoulos said in a statement.

 Such a meeting will not be downgrading the President as a leader of a community but it will be upgrading Akıncı to President or representative of a so-called state entity, he said.

 DIKO suggested Akıncı being upgraded to “co-president” with acceptance by Anastasiades in advance to meet Akıncı alone, or in the presence of the UNSG in Davos, “where only heads of state participate.”  and all this, according to the party, amid a blackout that aimed in taking people by surprise and subsequently blackmailing them.