London: The UN Secretary General’s personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, has initiated a series of diplomatic engagements in London and Brussels, as reported by CNA. Holguin is in London today, where she is expected to hold discussions with the UK’s Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Holguin’s agenda includes a visit to Brussels tomorrow, where she will meet with Johannes Hahn, the European Commission’s special envoy for Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides emphasized the significance of Holguin’s meetings in these key European cities and noted that she plans to return to Cyprus before an expanded informal meeting on Cyprus scheduled to occur in New York later this month.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of the northern third of the island. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, resolutions have been elusive, largely due to Turkish resistance. The most recent negotiations, held in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switz
erland, ended without an agreement.
UN Secretary General António Guterres has announced an informal meeting on Cyprus to be held at the end of July, continuing from a similar meeting in Geneva on March 17-18. The discussions aim to advance initiatives such as opening new crossing points and establishing a Technical Committee on Youth to foster cooperation across the island.
In early May, Guterres appointed María Angela Holguín Cuéllar as his Personal Envoy on Cyprus to reinvigorate dialogue between the conflicting parties. Holguín previously served in this capacity from January to July 2024. The European Commission has appointed Johannes Hahn as Special Envoy for Cyprus, working closely with Holguín to support the settlement process.