Slovenia’s FM welcomes appointment of UNSG personal envoy for Cyprus

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Slovenia supports the solution of the Cyprus issue within the UN framework, based on bi-zonal and bi-communal federation, said the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia ?anja Fajon, according to a post of Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs on platform X, following her meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Constantinos Kombos, on Friday, in Ljubljana. Fajon also welcomed the nomination of the UN Secretary-General’ personal envoy for Cyprus and confirmed that Slovenia will deploy again up to 15 soldiers to UNFICYP.

In a post on his personal account on X, and after thanking his Slovenian counterpart ‘for the warm welcome and hospitality’, Kombos noted from his part that Cyprus and Slovenia share a strong relation based on solid foundations, with a dynamic trajectory within the EU and the MED9 formation.

‘Our discussions were rich and productive. We exchanged views on deepening our bilateral ties, the Cyprus question, the EU agenda as well as international affa
irs with a focus on developments in the Middle East and Ukraine. I look forward to continuing our discussions and welcoming you to Nicosia’, added the Cypriot Foreign Minister.

The meeting was followed by a joint press conference, while according to the visit’s programme, Kombos will be subsequently received by the President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Urška Klakocar Zupancic.

Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, issues related to the European agenda, the Cyprus problem and developments in the Middle East region.

Kombos is on a work visit to Slovenia at the invitation of the Slovenian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.

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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secret
ary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.

Source: Cyprus News Agency