Minister Nami continues high-level contacts in Berlin
Following his visit to Ankara alongside President Mustafa Akıncı, Foreign Minister Özdil Nami continued to Berlin where he has been holding high-level contacts with German officials.
Minister Nami, who was accompanied by Private Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Hüseyin Özel, held contacts at the Office of the Federal Chancellery yesterday morning, followed by a series of important meetings at the Federal Parliament (Bundestag).
After his meeting with Philipp Missfelder, Foreign Policy Spokesman in the Bundestag of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CDU/CSU), Minister Nami proceeded to meet with Günther Krichbaum, Chairman of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union within the German Bundestag from the CDU/CSU in his Office in the Bundestag. Later, Minister Nami met with Norbert Spinrath, Spokesman on EU Affairs and member of the Social Democrat Party within the Bundestag, as well as Heinz Joachim Barchmann, Deputy Chairman of the EU Affairs Committee.
Minister Nami expressed his expectations pertaining to the resumption of the negotiation process and indicated that if the process is expedited and both sides display the necessary political will, it is possible to reach a solution in the year 2015. Emphasizing the importance of supporting the new hopeful environment with concrete steps, Minister Nami recalled that the EU acquis offers the necessary legal foundation for the lifting of the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots. Nami pointed out that if the EU displays a more embracing stance towards the Turkish Cypriots it will contribute to the establishment of balance between the two sides, and added that such a stance will have a positive effect on the negotiations. Nami further highlighted the importance of the support of Germany and other EU countries in this regard.
At the round-table discussion titled “A new round of talks in a more realistic atmosphere” which was organized by the Science and Politics Foundation, Minister Nami came together with German bureaucrats, academicians and NGO representatives. During the discussion, Minister Nami stated that there is a new positive atmosphere regarding the negotiations following the Presidential elections which took place in our country; the stance which will be taken by the Greek Cypriot side in this new era may have a determining effect on the outcome of the negotiation process; it is not acceptable for the negotiations to start from scratch but that the Greek Cypriot side has refrained from negotiating from the convergences and agreements reached till this day.
Minister Nami, who will continue his contacts in Berlin today, will meet with Cem Özdemir, Co-Chair of the German Green Party, and Turkish Ambassador to Berlin H.E. Mr. Hüseyin Avni Karslıoğlu. It is expected that Minister Nami will return to the Island later this evening following the conclusion of his contacts with German bureaucrats and members of the press.