Nicosia: United Nations Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, arrives in Cyprus today, Sunday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, DiCarlo will be briefed today by UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Colin Stewart, before her meetings scheduled for Monday.
It is recalled that UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, stated during a press briefing at the UN headquarters that Rosemary DiCarlo will meet with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides and Mr. Ersin Tatar, respectively, on February 10. They will discuss the way forward on the Cyprus issue, preparing for an informal meeting in a broader format. Additionally, DiCarlo is set to focus on the work of the Secretary-General’s good offices mission and engage with representatives of civil society, including youth and women’s groups.
Following her visit to Cyprus, DiCarlo will hold meetings i
n Athens, Greece, on February 12, and Ankara, Turkey, on February 13, to discuss the Cyprus issue and other key regional and global developments.
It has also been officially announced that Rosemary DiCarlo is scheduled to meet with President Nikos Christodoulides at noon on Monday. Earlier, at 10:30, she will meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. Sources informed CNA that DiCarlo will meet with the Cyprus Women Bi-Communal Coalition at Ledra Palace, in the Nicosia buffer zone, on Monday afternoon.
President Christodoulides has expressed his readiness to participate in a joint meeting with DiCarlo and the Turkish Cypriot leader. 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, with the latest round of negotiations in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ending inconclusively.