New york: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his absolute commitment to resolving the Cyprus issue during a meeting in New York with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. Guterres emphasized that he “will not give up” on the negotiations, which aim to continue from where they left off in Crans-Montana.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Guterres acknowledged that while there was no immediate progress expected from the meeting, his primary intention was to demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the process. He emphasized the importance of resuming talks from the previous negotiation point at Crans-Montana.
The meeting also included discussions on the potential involvement of Maria Angela Holguin, the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy. The President of Cyprus requested Holguin’s immediate dispatch following the upcoming “elections” in the Turkish-occupied areas. Guterres confirmed that Holguin would soon visit the Republic of Cyprus to lay the groundwork for the next broader meeting and to organize subsequent steps.
The report highlighted that Guterres, for the first time, confirmed that the talks would resume from where they concluded at Crans-Montana. During the meeting, Tatar accused the Greek Cypriot side of various issues. In response, President Christodoulides refrained from engaging in a blame game, focusing instead on moving forward.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, a resolution has yet to be reached, primarily due to Turkish intransigence. The most recent negotiation round in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended without a conclusion.