An upcoming meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar is expected to yield results, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday, adding that within a week there will be announcements from the United Nations regarding the appointment of a Cyprus envoy.

“We are holding this meeting as a continuation of what was agreed in Geneva. I hope there will be a positive outcome. We are going into it with the intention of achieving a concrete result which we can announce,” he said. The meeting will be held on April 2.

Christodoulides added that “both sides, as well as all participants in the Geneva conference, have undertaken commitments to the UN Secretary-General, and we are ready to begin implementing these commitments”.

When asked whether there was any specific reason for the delay in the appointment of the UN envoy, Christodoulides said he has been in contact with the UN.

“The relevant bureaucratic procedures are being carried out within the UN to proceed with the appointment. I believe that within a week from now, at the latest, we will have the announcements from the UN,” he added.

Christodoulides was responding to journalists’ questions before a meeting in Oroklini. He was also asked about his participation in the Ukraine Summit in Paris on Thursday and sought to comment on remarks by “certain individuals who criticize the government.”

“The Republic of Cyprus, along with Ireland, was one of the only non-NATO states that participated at the level of head of government, which underscores the significance of our presence. I heard criticism from some who also criticised when Cyprus was not present. Let them continue in the same manner; it does not concern us,” he said.

Regarding Friday’s five-party meeting with France, Greece, Syria, and Lebanon, he described it as “particularly important because what dominated the discussions were developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, primarily in Syria”.

“Some important messages were sent to the country’s interim president regarding necessary actions to bring Syria back onto the international stage, allowing for the possibility of a full lifting of sanctions, which was something he requested. Developments in Lebanon were also discussed,” he added.

He reminded that the Republic of Cyprus was among the first countries to support Lebanon’s efforts, particularly in forming a government after so many years.

“I was in Lebanon within 24 hours of the new president taking office, and I believe that our invitation by the French President [to Friday’s meeting] practically demonstrates the significance of our country,” he emphasised.