Nicosia: President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, identified four positive outcomes after his initial meeting with Tufan Erhurman, the new Turkish Cypriot leader, on Thursday morning. Speaking at the Presidential Palace, he emphasized the significance of the upcoming joint meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, scheduled for December. This meeting follows separate engagements with Christodoulides and Erhurman on December 6 and 5, respectively.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the President outlined other positive developments, including the resumption of meetings between the negotiators of the two communities in anticipation of a broader meeting under the UN Secretary-General. Holguin’s planned visits to Greece and Turkey in December, along with the visit of EU Special Envoy on Cyprus, Johannes Hahn, also in December, were highlighted as promising steps.
President Christodoulides noted the importance of entering a procedure aiming to resume talks from where they halted in Crans-Montana. When inquired about the potential for a broader format meeting in 2025, he expressed his readiness for such a prospect, indicating that Holguin will examine the issue with the UN Secretary-General and other interested parties.
The President emphasized the critical understanding of the need to resume talks, stating that this would be where all parties will be assessed, and the true prospects for progress will become evident.
Responding to questions from journalists, President Christodoulides clarified that the meeting with Erhurman, though not social, did not involve negotiations. Both leaders raised several issues, including confidence-building measures (CBMs), which were discussed as part of the meetings under the UN Secretary-General. Christodoulides stressed the importance of CBMs, particularly following the leadership change in the Turkish Cypriot community and recent developments in the resumption process.
Regarding a common understanding with Erhurman on where talks should resume, the President acknowledged the importance of the acquis. He proposed actions to facilitate the resumption of talks and emphasized his commitment to achieving a positive outcome.
When asked about crossing points, President Christodoulides confirmed that the issue was mentioned by the Turkish Cypriot leader and is set to be discussed by the negotiators in their meetings.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has yet to be achieved. The most recent negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ended without a conclusive agreement.