Limassol: A serious, multi-level effort is currently under way, both publicly and behind the scenes, based on a specific plan by the United Nations Secretary-General, for a new meeting on the Cyprus issue during the summer, with the aim of restarting negotiations and creating the prospect of a settlement, Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic, Victoras Papadopoulos, said on Sunday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Papadopoulos was speaking at a memorial service for those who fell during the 1974 Turkish invasion from Bellapais, as well as the officers and soldiers of the 33rd Commando Squadron, held at Saint Eleftherios Church in Mouttagiaka, in the Limassol District. He emphasized the critical and decisive nature of the current moment in relation to the Cyprus issue.
Papadopoulos elaborated that a serious, multi-level effort is underway, both in the public eye and behind the scenes, based on a specific plan by the UN Secretary-General. The plan aims to convene a new meeting in a broader format on the Cyprus issue during the summer, which would lead to the resumption of negotiations and create the prospect of a settlement.
He further highlighted the prolonged deadlock in recent years and the uncompromising stance of the Turkish side for a two-state solution, which he noted is outside the agreed United Nations framework. Despite these challenges, Papadopoulos pointed out that Cyprus is now faced with a renewed initiative by the Secretary-General, facilitated by the Government's efforts to break the impasse. This initiative aims to restart negotiations in a manner that offers a credible prospect of resolving the Cyprus issue through a solution that is functional, sustainable, and in line with United Nations resolutions, the EU acquis, and European principles and values.
Papadopoulos added that the President of the Republic, with demonstrated political will, is doing everything possible to ensure the success of the new initiative by Mr Ant³nio Guterres and his Personal Envoy, Ms Mara ngela Holgun. He underscored that unity on the domestic front is an essential prerequisite for the success of the effort.
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.
Following informal meetings in 2025 and a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in a broader format as the term of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. Mara ngela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked with engaging with the parties.