President hopes for appointment of UN envoy after New York meetings

The government is expected to announce unilateral measures towards the Turkish Cypriot community this week, President Nikos Christodoulides said from New York on Sunday.

In a press conference, the president highlighted the importance of the meeting between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York on Tuesday concerning efforts to revive the negotiation process for Cyprus.

He described the meeting as “pivotal in terms of the future developments related to Cyprus” as it “will determine the Secretary-General’s next steps”.

Regarding his own meeting with the UN Secretary-General on September 22, Christodoulides said, the focus will be on the appointment of a UN envoy.

“The messages are clear. They are what we have been publicly stating and what I have included in several letters I sent to the Secretary-General, emphasising the need for the appointment of a special representative to explore the prospects for resuming negotiations.”

The president noted that there could be developments this week to announce unilateral measures by the Republic of Cyprus towards the Turkish Cypriot community. These measures were prepared following discussions with personalities from the Turkish Cypriot community and civil society.

“I hope developments will allow us to announce these measures this week,” he stated. He also mentioned that he has suggestions for confidence-building measures in everyday life.

The president travelled to the US on Saturday, where he is attending the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and will engage in a series of diplomatic meetings.

During his statements, President Christodoulides underlined that the purpose of both his and Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos’ meetings in New York revolves around three objectives set by the Republic of Cyprus before the trip to New York.

The first and most critical objective, he reiterated, pertains to Cyprus and the appointment of a UN envoy.

“We hope that the meetings will pave the way first for the appointment of a representative of the UN Secretary-General and subsequently for the resumption of negotiations,” he explained.

The second thematic area of their meetings focuses on energy, particularly in light of the European Union’s efforts to achieve energy independence from Russia and establish new energy routes. President Christodoulides pointed out that bilateral meetings in New York will address this issue, and he highlighted Israel and Egypt as two important countries for Cyprus in this context. He further mentioned that meetings with the heads of Exxon and Chevron will also take place.

The third thematic area concerns efforts to attract quality investments to Cyprus, specifically American investments. President Christodoulides emphasized that this goal has been jointly set with the US government.

The president is scheduled to address the general assembly on Wednesday and is expected to meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakis is also in New York and is expected to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.