Nicosia: Until now, there has not been much progress in the ongoing Cyprus negotiations, according to UNSG's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin. Holguin expressed concerns on Tuesday regarding the lack of advancement, emphasizing the difficulty of organizing a 5+1 meeting without significant progress.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Holguin met with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, at the Presidential Palace. She described the meeting as positive and mentioned her plans to meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader later in the afternoon. Holguin is actively working to foster progress in the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and expressed hope for future developments. "I hope there is progress, until now there is not so much progress," she stated.
Holguin also discussed an upcoming joint meeting scheduled for Wednesday, where both leaders will address methodology and consider the four points previously proposed by Turkish Cypriot leader Erhurman. She underscored the importance of progress in these discussions, as it is crucial for organizing a 5+1 meeting.
When questioned about the possibility of a 5+1 meeting next month, Holguin indicated that its occurrence is contingent upon the progress made by the two leaders on the CBMs.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Efforts to resolve the situation through UN-led peace talks have repeatedly faltered due to Turkish intransigence. The most recent round of negotiations, held in July 2017 at Crans-Montana in Switzerland, ended without resolution.
In 2025, the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, one in March in Geneva and another in July in New York. Additionally, a tripartite meeting with Cyprus leaders was held in late September during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. However, an informal meeting in a broader format, anticipated before the end of 2025, has yet to be announced.
Maria Angela Holguin, tasked with engaging the parties, is collaborating with former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who has been designated as the Special Envoy for Cyprus by the Commission, to contribute to the settlement process.