Nicosia: The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, is set to hold separate meetings with the negotiators of the two sides this week.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Holguin’s schedule includes a meeting on Tuesday with the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Menelaos Menelaou, followed by a meeting on Wednesday with the Turkish Cypriot negotiator, Gnes Onar. On Monday, Holguin is scheduled to meet Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, at 11 am in the occupied areas of Cyprus.
In addition to these meetings, Holguin plans to engage with the newly established Technical Committee on Youth on Tuesday afternoon. Later in the week, she will visit restoration sites at cemeteries managed by the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage in both occupied and government-controlled areas.
Holguin’s visit follows her arrival in Cyprus on Thursday evening, which included a meeting with the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides. This meeting aimed to prepare for a trilateral meeting involving both Cypriot leaders and the UN Secretary-General in New York, scheduled for September 27.
During her visit, Holguin also explored Buyuk Han in occupied Nicosia, a site where Cypriots from various communities have been gathering socially for decades. Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third, with numerous UN-led peace talks failing to resolve the situation.
In July 2025, a second informal meeting on Cyprus took place in New York, following a previous meeting in Geneva in March. The UN Secretary-General, Ant³nio Guterres, emphasized ongoing commitments to dialogue and announced plans for a joint meeting with Cypriot leaders during the September General Assembly high-level week.
The discussions between the two sides continue, focusing on issues such as opening crossing points and installing solar energy in the buffer zone. Both sides have also agreed to cooperate on exchanging cultural artifacts. Meanwhile, Johannes Hahn, a former European Commissioner, has been designated by the European Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus to support Holgun’s efforts in the settlement process.