Sofia: The developments regarding the Cyprus issue were among the topics discussed by Giorgos Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan during their meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of the South-East European Cooperation Process Summit in Sofia.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the two ministers discussed recent developments in the Cyprus issue, the upcoming meeting with the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Cyprus, and the planned informal expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue.
They also exchanged views on the course of transatlantic relations ahead of the July summit in Ankara, as well as on regional developments, with particular emphasis on the situation in the broader Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.
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.
In 2025, the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format that was expected to take place before the end of 2025 is yet to be announced. Mara Angela Holgun, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.