Nicosia: The second meeting between the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, takes place today, following an earlier informal meeting on Cyprus held in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 17-18, 2025. The leaders are set to convene at 11:00 a.m. (local time) at Ledra Palace, located within the UN-controlled area in Nicosia.
According to Cyprus News Agency, today’s meeting follows the initial tªte- -tªte between the two leaders on April 2. During that meeting, Christodoulides and Tatar agreed to establish a bi-communal Technical Committee on Youth and to initiate work on a series of practical confidence-building measures. These measures include the demining of specific areas, joint environmental and climate change initiatives, and the restoration of cemeteries. The leaders also committed to continuing discussions on improving the operation of crossing points and exploring the use of solar energy within the buffer zone.
The meeting occurs as the return of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Mara Angela Holguin Cuellar, is anticipated later in May. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have not yielded results due to Turkish intransigence, with the latest negotiations in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ending inconclusively.
The UN Secretary-General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following the meeting in Geneva on March 17-18.