Nicosia: The personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin, is scheduled to visit Brussels in early July, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, announced on Saturday. This visit is part of a strategy aimed at fostering positive developments before a new multilateral conference in New York, which seeks to resume peace talks.
According to Cyprus News Agency, President Christodoulides made these remarks during his arrival at the DIPA conference in Nicosia. He shared insights from his recent conversation with the UN Secretary-General in Nice, France, where he was briefed on discussions between Holguin and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The President emphasized the significance of Holguin’s upcoming meetings in Brussels, underscoring the singular goal of achieving progress to facilitate the resumption of talks.
In response to inquiries about potential optimism derived from Fidan’s statements, President Christodoulides stated that “we will all be judged by the outcome.” He also confirmed that Holguin is expected to visit Cyprus following her Brussels engagements and before the New York meeting.
When asked to address remarks made by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar regarding the occupying army, the President refrained from commenting, noting the ongoing election campaign in the occupied areas that might provoke statements aimed at creating a confrontational atmosphere.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Efforts led by the UN for peace talks have repeatedly stalled due to Turkish intransigence, with the most recent attempt in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ending without resolution.
The UN Secretary-General, Ant³nio Guterres, previously announced an informal meeting on Cyprus to be held at the end of July, following a similar gathering in Geneva. This meeting aims to advance initiatives such as opening crossing points and creating a Technical Committee on Youth. The European Commission has appointed Johannes Hahn as Special Envoy for Cyprus to work alongside Holguin in the settlement process.