UN envoy promises tangible results on the Cyprus issue by July

María Ángela Holguín expressed her strong intention to work intensively until the next informal conference on the Cyprus problem in Geneva, in July, with the aim of achieving tangible results, to the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, during their meeting on 24 May at the Presidential Palace.

The personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General stated that she will focus both on the general effort to restart the negotiation process and on promoting the six Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) that were agreed upon at the previous multilateral conference last March.

“I will work very hard to have something tangible by July,” she said, emphasizing the importance of progress on the MOUs for building trust between the two sides.

Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis noted that Cyprus welcomes the mission of Holguín, stressing that this is a practical demonstration of Antonio Guterres’ personal commitment to the Cyprus cause. He stated that the meeting with the President was “very constructive” and part of the preparation for the next conference, which is expected to serve as a springboard for the resumption of negotiations.

The Cyprus conflict, rooted in the island’s division since 1974 following a Turkish invasion triggered by a Greek-backed coup, has seen Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots separated by a UN-patrolled buffer zone, with numerous failed peace talks over decades. Despite UN efforts, including the collapsed 2017 Crans-Montana talks, progress has been elusive due to disagreements over governance, security, and territory.

Despite joining the EU in 2004 as a de facto divided island, the whole of Cyprus is EU territory.

Holguín will remain in Cyprus until next Saturday, holding a series of meetings, including contacts with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou. Christodoulides has expressed his readiness for a joint meeting with Tatar in Holguín’s presence, a possibility that is currently being formulated.

At the same time, the UN envoy’s international contacts are also in focus, as she is expected to visit Ankara, Athens, London and Brussels.

Particular importance is attributed to the recent appointment of Johannes Hahn as the European Union’s special envoy for the Cyprus issue, with the aim of more active EU involvement, given the connection between EU-Turkey relations and progress on the Cyprus issue.

Regarding the possibility of discussing essential issues at the multilateral conference in July, Letymbiotis stressed that “we are not only expecting, but we are working towards this direction”, adding that the composition of the conference allows for this. He also underlined that progress on the six thematic areas is a key indicator for the success of the process, without considering a full agreement by then as a prerequisite.

The government spokesperson recalled that during the last Christodoulides-Tatar meeting, the President of the Republic had also proposed the creation of a new pedestrian crossing point in the center of Nicosia, a proposal that was not accepted by the other side.

“Our political will is sincere and internationally accepted,” the spokesperson underlined, stressing that dialogue is the necessary first step for substantial progress. He finally expressed cautious optimism about developments, with the hope that the Turkish Cypriot side will also demonstrate the required political will to make the resumption of talks under the auspices of the United Nations possible.

Progress on the Cyprus issue by July 2025 would significantly strengthen Nicosia’s leadership and credibility during Cyprus’s rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, starting 1 January 2026.

Edited by g.g.

Photo: The President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and UN special envoy María Ángela Holguín. Account of Nikos Christodoulides on X.