Nicosia: Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, will meet with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on Saturday morning in Athens to brief him on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus issue and exchange views ahead of the upcoming visit of the UN Secretary-General to Cyprus next week.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Victoras Papadopoulos, President Christodoulides will depart for Athens on Saturday morning, with the meeting scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Maximos Mansion. Papadopoulos emphasized that the meeting aims to update the Greek Prime Minister on the Cyprus issue developments, particularly in anticipation of United Nations Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres' visit to Cyprus from July 27 to 29.
Following the private meeting between President Christodoulides and Prime Minister Mitsotakis, expanded talks will be held between delegations from both governments. These discussions are expected to further delve into the current state of affairs and explore potential strategies in light of the Cyprus issue.
President Christodoulides, who is scheduled to return to Cyprus early Saturday afternoon, will be accompanied by a delegation including Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos, Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, and other government officials. This visit highlights the ongoing collaboration and shared interests between Cyprus and Greece regarding the prolonged division of Cyprus.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, a resolution has remained elusive. The most recent negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ended without agreement. As informal meetings resumed in 2025 and discussions for a broader format meeting are underway, the involvement of key figures such as Guterres' Personal Envoy Mara Angela Holgun and European Commission's Special Representative Raffaele Fitto underscores the significance of these efforts.