UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres tweeted “Cyprus deal ‘close’, but don’t expect ‘miracles’”, after the completion of the first stage of the Geneva Peace talks on Cyprus and the working lunch. In his statements, Guterres praised Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and leader of the Cypriot-Turkish community Mustafa Akinci.

“I would like to underlined the courage of both leaders. Historically and for the first time I must says that we saw at the same table not only the protagonists, but also the guarantor powers”, he said. He went on to say that there was a constructive dialogue that helped identify both the progress in negotiations and details that need to be focused on.

He added, however, that “No miracles of immediate solutions should be expected. We do not want am solution that mends things, but a viable solution”. Responding to questions by the press, he pointed out that solutions to all pending issues were being sought. “We are the starting point. The parties talked about security and guarantees”, stressed, adding that Cyprus could be become a beacon of hope for the world.