Nicosia: Greece remains ready and will continue to contribute constructively to the next steps of the ongoing efforts by the UN Secretary-General, aimed at resuming negotiations on the basis of the agreed framework under the auspices of the United Nations, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday in a press release marking the 52nd anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. It further stressed that a solution to the Cyprus issue remains a top priority.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Ministry noted that Greece pays tribute to the memory of those who fell and expresses its respect and gratitude to all those who defended Cyprus with courage and self-sacrifice. It further underlined that the Cyprus issue remains, to this day, an international matter involving the unlawful invasion and occupation of a Member State of both the European Union and the United Nations.
"In close coordination with the Republic of Cyprus, Greece remains committed to seeking a comprehensive, mutually acceptable solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, a single international legal personality, a single sovereignty, and a single citizenship, within the framework established by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in accordance with the EU acquis and the principles and values of the European Union. Greece remains ready and will continue to contribute constructively to the next steps of the ongoing efforts by the UN Secretary-General, aimed at resuming negotiations on the basis of the agreed framework under the auspices of the United Nations," the press release said.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stressed that resolving the Cyprus issue in accordance with the parameters set by the United Nations Security Council, the reunification of the island, and ending the occupation of the territory of an EU member state remain a top priority.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively.
After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in a broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked with engaging with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.