Nicosia: The Government of Cyprus is preparing for the upcoming meeting in New York with a constructive attitude and a strong commitment to advancing confidence-building measures. Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the Government Spokesperson, emphasized the importance of resuming negotiations from where they were previously halted.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Letymbiotis made these remarks following a meeting at the Presidential Palace with fire experts from the US. When questioned about the potential appointment of a new UN Special Representative for Cyprus before the anticipated joint meeting of both Cypriot leaders with the UN Secretary-General in New York, Letymbiotis noted that this decision falls under the United Nations’ purview. He confirmed that Cyprus has accepted the proposed candidate and is awaiting official announcements.
Addressing concerns about Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s critical remarks and the implications of a British MP’s resignation as the UK Special Envoy for Trade to Turkey, Letymbiotis firmly stated that defending international law should not be misconstrued as a tyrannical act. The Spokesperson stressed that Cyprus is committed to upholding sovereign rights and international justice through diplomatic efforts.
Letymbiotis also acknowledged that Tatar’s rhetoric is expected to intensify as the Turkish Cypriot leadership election approaches in October. Despite this, Cyprus remains focused on achieving progress in confidence-building measures and resuming negotiations from the previous interruption point.
Regarding concerns about the potential election of Tufan Erhrman as the new Turkish Cypriot leader, Letymbiotis emphasized the desire for substantive negotiations based on United Nations Security Council resolutions. He reiterated that all parties, except Turkey and Tatar, agreed on maintaining adherence to these resolutions during recent multilateral discussions.
Cyprus has been divided since Turkey’s 1974 invasion and occupation of the northern third. Efforts to reach a peace agreement have been ongoing but have yet to yield results. The latest negotiations in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in July 2017, ended without resolution due to Turkish intransigence.
A second informal meeting on Cyprus took place in New York in July 2025, with a follow-up meeting expected later this year. UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres highlighted the parties’ commitment to dialogue and announced plans to meet with Cypriot leaders during the General Assembly high-level week in September.
Ongoing discussions between the two sides include issues such as opening crossing points and establishing a solar energy installation in the buffer zone. Cooperation has also been agreed upon in areas like cultural artifact exchanges, under the guidance of Maria Angela Holgun, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus. The European Commission appointed Johannes Hahn as Special Envoy for Cyprus to support the settlement process alongside Holgun.