Nicosia: The UN Secretary General's references to the significance of the European Union's support in resolving the Cyprus issue hold particular political weight, competent sources disclosed to CNA. These insights were shared in response to the UN Secretary General's reports on his Good Offices Mission and on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
According to Cyprus News Agency, the sources emphasized the importance of the EU's backing in the UN's efforts to address the Cyprus problem. They noted that these references validate a strategic focus of President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, who has consistently advocated for a more active and substantive involvement of the European Union within the United Nations framework to bolster the UN Secretary General's initiatives.
The sources also highlighted the UN Secretary General's mention of a 'current window of opportunity for making progress.' They agreed with this assessment, attributing it to the consistent efforts made by their side from the onset. "We have been diligently working to create and capitalize on this opportunity, with a focus on resuming substantive negotiations from where they were halted, in line with the agreed framework and UN Security Council resolutions," they elaborated.
Additionally, the reports underscore the UN Secretary General's sustained efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus issue, noting as a positive development the increased dialogue between the two leaders. The sources underscored the clarity and significance of the UN Secretary General's remarks on Varosha, the fenced-off part of the Turkish-occupied town of Famagusta, affirming that the UN's stance remains unchanged while monitoring the situation.
The sources further emphasized that references to UN Security Council resolutions 550 and 789 reaffirm the clarity and binding nature of international law, asserting that no actions creating new faits accomplis will be accepted.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and subsequent occupation of its northern third. Multiple UN-led peace negotiations have yet to achieve success, largely due to Turkish intransigence. The most recent negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended without conclusion. With informal meetings resuming in 2025 and a new meeting in broader format anticipated as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' term nears its end, Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked with engaging the parties.