Nicosia: The National Council is set to convene on Friday under the leadership of President Nikos Christodoulides. The meeting aims to brief political party leaders and facilitate discussions ahead of the impending visit of UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres to Cyprus next week.
According to Cyprus News Agency, President Christodoulides is scheduled to travel to Athens on Saturday to meet with the Greek Prime Minister in preparation for Guterres' visit. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following Turkey's invasion and occupation of the northern third of the island. Despite numerous rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has remained elusive, primarily due to what is described as Turkish intransigence. The last significant negotiation attempt occurred in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, but ended without an agreement.
After informal meetings in 2025 and a subsequent hiatus, efforts are currently underway to organize a new, broader-format meeting. This initiative comes as UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres approaches the end of his term. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, has been assigned the task of engaging with the concerned parties to facilitate discussions.