Nicosia: The meeting of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, with President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman is currently in progress at the residence of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative. The meeting is being held within the buffer zone at the old Nicosia airport area.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Holguin arrived at 10.47 am local time, followed by President Christodoulides at 11.05 am, who was accompanied by negotiator Menelaos Menelaou. Tufan Erhurman arrived shortly after at 11.08 am, with his aide Mehmet Dana. The two leaders were welcomed by Holguin and Khassim Diagne, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus and head of the UN peacekeeping force on the island (UNFICYP). Diagne departed after the meeting commenced, which officially began at 11.15 am.
Holguin had separate meetings with the two leaders on Tuesday. The ongoing division of Cyprus dates back to 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of the island. Numerous UN-led peace talks have failed to bring about a resolution, often hindered by Turkish intransigence. The most recent negotiation attempts, held in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended without a conclusion.
In 2025, the UN Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings regarding Cyprus, one in March in Geneva and another in July in New York. A tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders took place in late September, following the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. Another informal meeting in a broader format was anticipated before the end of 2025, but it has not yet been announced.
Maria Angela Holguin, acting as the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is working to engage with both parties. Additionally, former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is expected to assist in the settlement process alongside Holguin.