Nicosia: The meeting between the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Tufan Erhrman, is scheduled for 4 p.m. today, in the presence of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Marangela Holgun Cullar.
According to Cyprus News Agency, President Christodoulides expressed his intent to explore avenues to resume talks from the point they were left at Crans-Montana. He emphasized his willingness to discuss confidence-building measures and introduce new ideas. Prior to the meeting with Holgun, both leaders plan to visit the Committee on Missing Persons.
Following their meeting, the leaders will attend an informal reception hosted by Khassim Diagne, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. On Thursday morning, President Christodoulides is scheduled to meet with Johannes Hahn, the European Union's envoy for the Cyprus issue.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis remarked that President Christodoulides approaches the meeting with seriousness and a constructive attitude, aiming solely at resuming substantive negotiations. He highlighted the significance of the joint visit to the Anthropological Laboratory of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, marking a commitment to resolving the fate of the missing.
Letymbiotis further explained that the involvement of the European Union was a strategic goal set by President Christodoulides, enhancing diplomatic efforts. He underscored the critical timing of the meeting, coinciding with the visit of UN Envoy Holgun, as an opportunity to address substantive issues and plan the next multilateral conference.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Attempts at UN-led peace talks have consistently ended without resolution, with the last negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana proving inconclusive.