Nicosia: The President of the Republic is set to engage in a pivotal meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader on Thursday, with a focus on rekindling substantive negotiations. Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, outlined the President’s commitment to approaching the meeting with the seriousness and political will emblematic of the Greek Cypriot side, following a Cabinet session at the Presidential Palace.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the joint visit by the leaders to the Anthropological Laboratory of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) is intended to underscore the ongoing commitment to uncover the fate of missing persons. President Christodoulides has scheduled a National Council meeting for Friday, December 12, to inform the political leadership about recent diplomatic engagements.
Letymbiotis highlighted an upcoming meeting between the President and the European Union’s Special Representative for Cyprus, Johannes Hahn, slated for Thursday morning. The President’s long-standing objective to involve the EU in the negotiation process is now bearing fruit with Hahn’s appointment, which brings new diplomatic leverage to the table. This meeting coincides with the presence of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, marking a critical juncture for the Cyprus issue.
The President’s schedule also includes a joint visit with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhrman to the CMP’s Anthropological Laboratory. This visit carries a symbolic weight, emphasizing a collective responsibility to the families of missing persons and reinforcing the ongoing nature of this humanitarian effort.
A significant joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy will follow, a rare occurrence in recent years, signaling a potential breakthrough in negotiation efforts. The President is approaching this meeting with the hope of advancing negotiations based on UN Security Council resolutions and EU principles, aiming to convene a multilateral conference soon and review progress on confidence-building measures.
The President intends to engage in discussions with a focus on substantive issues surrounding the Cyprus problem, maintaining an approach aimed at genuine progress. The meeting’s outcome will be further discussed during the forthcoming National Council briefing.
Questions were raised regarding the Greek Cypriot side’s counterproposals to the Turkish Cypriot leader’s methodology. Letymbiotis emphasized the President’s preparedness and commitment to a constructive dialogue, free of preconditions, rooted in international law and EU values.
The spokesperson also addressed Turkey’s reluctance to grant access to potential sites of missing persons, reiterating the humanitarian priority of resolving these cases and providing closure to affected families.
The Cyprus conflict remains unresolved since Turkey’s 1974 invasion, with numerous negotiation attempts stalling amid Turkish resistance. Efforts to restart talks have seen informal meetings in Geneva and New York in 2025, with another expected later this year. The Committee on Missing Persons continues its vital work, having exhumed and identified many of the missing, though hundreds remain unaccounted for.