New york: The Cyprus problem was among the issues discussed on Tuesday between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York, the office of the head of the international organisation said. The Secretary-General and Turkey’s President ‘exchanged views on Cyprus, the situation in the Middle East, Libya and Ukraine’, it said in an announcement. They also discussed wider UN – Trkiye cooperation, including the Zero Waste Initiative, it adds.
According to Cyprus News Agency, 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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively.
A second informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format was held in New York on July 16-17, 2025. Another meeting is anticipated later this year to follow up on initiatives agreed by the parties, which the UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres said demonstrate a commitment to continuing a dialogue on the way forward. Guterres also announced that he would meet jointly with Cyprus leaders during the General Assembly high-level week in September.
The two sides in Cyprus continue discussions on outstanding issues, including the opening of crossing points and a solar energy installation in the buffer zone. They also agreed to cooperate on a number of issues, including the exchange of cultural artifacts, while Maria Angela Holgun, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, will continue her efforts.
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 Holgun.