Nicosia: UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, is set to meet with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, on Friday afternoon in what will be their second meeting.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Holguin will follow this engagement by meeting Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, on the subsequent day. These meetings are a continuation of initial discussions that took place with both leaders earlier in the week.
CNA sources also highlight that Holguin engaged in separate discussions with the negotiators from both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides on Tuesday. However, no further meetings with negotiators have been scheduled, nor has there been any dialogue regarding the possibility of a joint meeting prior to the upcoming separate meetings with the leaders.
During her interactions with the negotiators, Holguin concentrated on the groundwork for an informal meeting anticipated to occur between late July and early August. These discussions are focused solely on substantive issues, steering clear of Confidence Building Measures.
Cyprus remains divided since 1974 following Turkey's invasion and occupation of the northern third of the island. UN-led peace negotiations have repeatedly stalled, largely due to Turkish intransigence. The last significant round of negotiations took place in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, but ended without resolution. In 2025, the Secretary-General convened informal meetings in Geneva and New York, with a tripartite meeting also held in September. An expanded informal meeting, anticipated before the end of 2025, has yet to be announced. Holguin's role involves engaging with the involved parties to facilitate progress.