South Cyprus government spokesperson Nicos Christodoulides has described the TRNC’s signing of a new energy deal with Turkey as “a negative development”.
TRNC Economy and Energy Minister Sunat Atun signed a new energy agreement with Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak on Tuesday in Istanbul to lay an undersea electricity cable link between Turkey and North Cyprus.
The new cable is expected to provide cheaper electricity in the north.
Christodoulides said the recent development did little to help efforts in the on-going Cyprus talks.
“This is certainly a negative development,” said Christodoulides. “We are in the process of trying to make headway in the talks between President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and such actions do not help. Turkish Cypriots should be concerned.”
Meanwhile, Christodoulides also criticised comments made by EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, that the talks were “a last chance for Cyprus”, describing them as “unfortunate” and “unhelpful”.
Cyprus Weekly