Nicosia: Negotiators from both sides of the Cyprus divide are scheduled to meet on Monday ahead of a significant meeting between the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman. This meeting marks the last encounter between the two leaders before they attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Scheduled for 11:00 a.m. local time next Thursday, the meeting falls within the framework of regular contacts and aims to continue the substantive discussion between the leaders.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou and Turkish Cypriot negotiator Mehmet Dana will hold a preparatory meeting on Monday afternoon. However, there has been no update on a phone conversation that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was expected to have with his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin. Holguin had previously postponed visits to the island and New York due to health reasons.
The High-level Week of the 81st General Assembly kicks off on September 18 at the UN headquarters. The General Debate, a central event where heads of state and government address the UNGA, will commence on Tuesday, September 22. Following their last meeting on September 9, President Christodoulides suggested the possibility of a joint meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader in New York, possibly involving the UN Secretary-General or his personal envoy. However, no updates have been provided on these potential meetings.
In their previous meeting, the leaders discussed three main issues: methodology, substance, and Confidence Building Measures. While progress has been made in some areas, differences persist in others. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has remained elusive, largely due to Turkish intransigence. The most recent negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended without resolution.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, nearing the end of his term, has announced plans to convene another meeting in a broader format, pending adequate preparation. Both sides and the guarantor powers have reached a consensus on this initiative. Mara Angela Holgun has been tasked by Guterres to engage with the parties, while Raffaele Fitto serves as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.