UN mediator makes another attempt to revive the Cyprus reunification talks

An informal five-party meeting on the Cyprus issue, which will take place at the headquarters of the international organization in New York, on 16 and 17 July, was announced on Wednesday (2 July) by the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric.

The spokesperson noted that the meeting would provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress that has been made since March.

“Following the informal meeting on the Cyprus problem in expanded format, which was held in Geneva on 17-18 March of this year, the Secretary-General will convene on 16 and 17 July, here at United Nations Headquarters, the leaders of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots, as well as representatives of the guarantor powers, Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, for another informal meeting on the Cyprus problem,” he said.

The informal five-party meeting was held in March in Geneva without tangible results. The UN initiative is overseen by the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Cyprus, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia María Ángela Holguín, who has recently held high-level contact cycle in Nicosia, Ankara, London and Athens, in a behind-the-scenes diplomatic campaign with a view to exploring the scope for re-engagement between the two sides.

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 met with the President of the European Council António Costa on 2 July to brief him on her mission.

Costa expressed the EU’s full support to the ongoing efforts towards a negotiated solution for the reunification of the island, “based on a bizonal and bicommunal federation and in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions” and wished every success for the upcoming meeting in New York and the continuation of the talks.

The EU has expressed readiness to assist the UN-led process, provide economic aid, and reduce Turkish Cypriot isolation, though Turkish Cypriots and Turkey resist EU participation, citing bias due to Cyprus and Greece’s membership. The EU also sees reunification as a way to stabilize the Eastern Mediterranean and improve EU-Turkey relations.

The legacy of Geneva and the New York follow-up

The informal Geneva meeting demonstrated the fundamental positional divide: The Greek Cypriot side, with the support of Athens, restored the framework for a solution of a bicommunal, bizonal federation, as defined in UN resolutions. On the contrary, the Turkish Cypriot side, in full complicity with Ankara, insisted on the two-state solution request, calling for the recognition of “sovereign equality”.

The failure to reach common ground reportedly led Guterres not to enter into a new formal negotiation, but to keep the communication channel open, leaving open the possibility of a new informal procedure – which is now being implemented.

The Holguín diplomatic mission

The presence of María Ángela Holguín is seen as key in the preparation of the conference. By successive visits to Nicosia, meetings with the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, but also with political, social and economic actors, Holguín sought to square the circle of the deeper parameters of disagreement.

UN envoy promises tangible results on the Cyprus issue by July

At the same time, she travelled to Ankara and London, where she met with senior officials of the guarantor powers. In Ankara, she was faced with clear insistence on the political equality and statehood of the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, while in London she was encouraged to continue the process within the UN parameters.

From the perspective of Nicosia, Holguín’s commitment to the process is acknowledged, on the other hand, reservations are expressed as to the limited room for manoeuvre.

The crucial questions for the July meeting

What is realistically expected from the new five-party talks is to serve as a barometer of political will, the critical questions being:

What would be the lowest common denominator for the resumption of reunification talks?
Will Turkey insist on the two-state solution, and if so, with what consequences?
Can the UN Secretary General, with Holguín’s support, achieve a new commitment mechanism for engaging the parties?
How will London and Washington balance neutrality and active engagement?

The new informal five-party conference on Cyprus in New York is another milestone in the long and difficult dialogue on the future of Cyprus. Despite low expectations for an immediate outcome, the process keeps the political debate alive within the framework of the United Nations and offers at least one step towards avoiding complete diplomatic paralysis.

Edited by g.g.

Caption: The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Cyprus María Ángela Holguín met with the President of the European Council António Costa on 2 July to brief him on her mission. [Eucopresident on X]