Nicosia: President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhman have agreed to a joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, slated for early December. This agreement was announced in a press statement by the UN Spokesperson in Cyprus following a meeting between the two leaders at the residence of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Nicosia Buffer Zone.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the leaders expressed their willingness to work towards the next informal meeting in a broader format, which will be convened by the Secretary-General. This development follows their first meeting since Erhman assumed leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community. Holguin, who participated in the meeting via videoconference from Lima, Peru, is expected to visit the island to further discussions.
The meeting provided an opportunity for both leaders to exchange views in a cordial atmosphere. They are looking forward to Holguin’s visit and have agreed to meet with her upon her arrival. The statement also indicated both leaders’ readiness to explore other opportunities for joint meetings and their commitment to regular preparatory meetings ahead of Holguin’s visit and the subsequent informal meeting.
Cyprus has remained divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has yet to be achieved. The last significant negotiations, held in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended without a conclusive agreement.