"There is no progress because there are two core unresolved issues. The one is security and guarantee, which includes withdrawal of Turkish troops. And the second is territory," Anastasiades said.
The Cypriot leader however noted the achievement on the issues of governance, distribution of power, economy and property, but stated that there was no need to keep discussing these topics without moving forward on territory and security.
"There is no reason to go to Geneva to repeat ourselves because we are having the negotiations on the island. We are repeating ourselves regarding the four chapters," Anastasiades added.
Turkey's aggressive attempts to interfere with the offshore oil and gas exploration in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone hampers the dialogue between the two parts of the partitioned island, Anastasiades added.
"Turkey’s aggressive policies in the Eastern Mediterranean in relation to the exploration and exploitation of the hydrocarbons in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone further complicate the efforts to reach settlement on the Cyprus issue," the president said.
Anastasiades also said that Turkey's actions would not stop the island from pursuing its agenda and honoring agreements made with oil and gas companies that were awarded licenses for offshore exploration and exploitation in EEZ.
Ankara is opposed to offshore oil and gas exploration carried out by Nicosia until the conclusion of bilateral reunification talks. Turkish authorities claim that exploration activities violate the rights of the Cypriot Turks. At the same time, the Cypriot side claims that the exploration activities are carried out in its exclusive economic zone and are thus its sovereign affair.
