Informal Meeting on Cyprus Issue Remains a Primary Objective, President Asserts

Nicosia: Everyone's primary objective is the convening of an informal meeting on the Cyprus issue, President Nikos Christodoulides said Monday. In statements to journalists on arrival at an event in Nicosia, and asked to comment on indications that the prospect of a five-party meeting on the Cyprus issue appears to be receding, the President said: 'I do not want to predetermine the outcome of Ms (Mar­a ngela) Holgu­n's visit'. He noted that Holguin, the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy on Cyprus, is expected to arrive in Nicosia before the end of the month, and that, prior to her arrival, she is to meet with several parties involved and interested in the Cyprus issue in various capitals. 'This is important. The primary objective of all sides is for this informal meeting in a broader format to be convened', he said.

According to Cyprus News Agency, the President urged everyone to wait until Holguin's arrival and for the results of her contacts abroad, 'and then we will see how things stand,' he noted, stressing that 'our own wish - and I can state this with certainty - is for this meeting in a broader format to be convened as soon as possible, leading to an announcement on the resumption of substantive talks.'

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively.

In 2025, the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected later this year.

Mar­a Angela Holgu­n, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holgu­n.