The personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin, will be in Brussels at the beginning of July, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday, noting that the aim is to achieve positive developments in view of the new multilateral conference in New York for the resumption of talks.
Speaking on his arrival at the DΕPA conference in Nicosia, and asked about the conversation he had with the UN Secretary General during their meeting in Nice, France, recently, the President of the Republic said that he heard from the Secretary General what was discussed between Holguin and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
“I am in contact with Mrs. Holguin, she will be in Brussels in early July, an important trip, important meetings there. The goal is one and only one, to have positive developments in view of the new multilateral conference to be held in New York, so that we can achieve the goal, which is nothing else but the resumption of talks,” he added.
Asked whether what Fidan said allowed for optimism, the President said that “we will all be judged by the outcome.”
Asked when Holguin will come to Cyprus, the President said that she will come after her contacts in Brussels, “certainly before the New York meeting.”
Asked to comment on Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s references to the occupying army, the President of the Republic said that “I have recently said that in view of the election campaign in the occupied areas, we will constantly hear statements from Mr. Tatar, but also from other members of the Turkish Cypriot community, who will attempt to ignite a climate of confrontation for their own election purposes. I am not involved and will not comment on anything Mr. Tatar says.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17-18. The two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, involving the opening of crossing points, the creation of a Technical Committee on Youth and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced in early May the appointment of María Angela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, who is tasked to reengage with the parties in order to work on next steps on the Cyprus issue and advise him. Holguín completed a previous assignment as Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on Cyprus from January to July 2024.
The European Commission designated Johannes Hahn, a former European Commissioner, as Special Envoy for Cyprus to contribute to the settlement process, in close cooperation with Holguín.