Nicosia: The UN is awaiting the response of the Turkish Cypriot side, specifically Gnes Onar, Special Representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader, regarding the regular Thursday meeting of Cyprus negotiators. This meeting is traditionally held with Colin Stewart, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, and aims to discuss the opening of new crossings.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou stated on Tuesday that the outcome of this or other meetings between the two negotiators could determine the scheduling of a second meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
The exact date for the arrival of UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo in Cyprus is yet to be finalized. Tatar has previously indicated that a meeting with DiCarlo is planned for February 10. Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey’s invasion and subsequent occupation of its northern third. Numerous UN-led peace negotiations have failed to produce a resolution, with the latest talks in Crans-Montana, Switzerland in July 2017, ending without conclusion.
On October 15, 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted an informal dinner in New York with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. At this event, Guterres encouraged the leaders to bridge differences and rebuild trust towards a settlement. Christodoulides and Tatar committed to holding an informal meeting soon, under the Secretary-General’s auspices, to explore ways forward, including the potential opening of new crossings.
The leaders also met on January 20 at Stewart’s residence in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia, where they instructed their negotiator and special representative to continue discussions and agreed to meet again in the coming days.