New york: The informal meeting on Cyprus, chaired by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has commenced in New York today. The meeting, involving key stakeholders, aims to facilitate dialogue and potentially resume negotiations on the longstanding Cyprus issue.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the meeting brings together President Nikos Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan, and UK Minister of State for Europe Stephen Doughty. The event began at 7 pm local time with a dinner hosted by Guterres at the UN headquarters.
Bilateral meetings between the UN Secretary-General and each delegation are scheduled for tomorrow, with President Christodoulides’ meeting set for 10.25 am New York time. The plenary session is planned to start at 11.30 am, followed by a working lunch and concluding with the final part of the plenary session at 4.45 pm.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis has expressed that the Greek Cypriot side hopes the meeting will act as a catalyst for resuming substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem, which stalled after the inconclusive talks in Crans-Montana in July 2017.
The current meeting follows an agreement made during an informal gathering in Geneva last March, where trust-building measures were discussed. These included opening new crossing points, forming a technical committee on youth, and initiatives focusing on environmental issues.
In May, Guterres appointed Maria Angela Holguin as his Personal Envoy for Cyprus to engage with the parties and advise on the next steps. The Republic’s President is accompanied in New York by key officials, including Attorney General George Savvides and Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kompos.
Cyprus has been divided since Turkey’s invasion in 1974, with numerous UN-led peace talks failing to resolve the issue, primarily due to Turkish intransigence.