Nicosia: The negotiators of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides are scheduled to meet on Thursday as a precursor to the anticipated meeting between President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on August 26th.
According to Cyprus News Agency, this preparatory meeting is set to take place at 11 am local time, aiming to facilitate a substantive discussion on the developments from the recent visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Cyprus. This meeting is pivotal in laying the groundwork for the forthcoming leaders' meeting, particularly focusing on the preparations for an expanded conference proposed by the UN Secretary-General.
President Christodoulides has emphasized the critical nature of this period, characterized by continuous and intense consultations aimed at announcing the resumption of talks. Concurrently, the UN is actively working to document the convergences achieved thus far. Following a joint meeting on July 29 in Nicosia with the Cypriot leaders, Guterres announced plans for another 5+1 meeting, contingent on adequate preparation related to confidence-building measures, methodology, and substance.
Cyprus remains divided since 1974, and despite numerous UN-led peace negotiations, progress has been stymied, largely attributed to Turkish intransigence. The last significant negotiation effort in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended without resolution. However, Guterres, nearing the end of his term, is committed to convening another broader meeting, having secured consensus from both parties and the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, as Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, will engage with the stakeholders, while Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto represents the European Commission as its Special Representative for Cyprus.