UN envoy will return to Cyprus in two weeks

The UN Secretary-General’s new personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin plans to return to Cyprus in two weeks following her upcoming contacts in Ankara, Athens and Brussels, she said on Friday.

Holguin on Friday met President Nikos Christodoulides for the second time this week and was also scheduled to meet again with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.  Holguin will also meet former president Nicos Anastasiades in Limassol on Saturday.

According to a statement from the presidential palace after Friday’s meeting, the UN envoy told reporters that she had a good meeting with Christodoulides and that during her stay on the island she had contacts with civil society, youth and women.

She would continue these contacts until Sunday when she will leave for meetings in Ankara and Athens, before returning to Cyprus again in two weeks.

She said she was “very encouraged” by what she has heard from civil society, and that it was important to be informed about the wishes and feelings of the people.

In statements later, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the meeting had been very constructive. It was a continuation of the first meeting between the two that took place on Tuesday, he said.

“The president highly appreciates the efforts made by Ms Holguin in the process of creating the conditions for the resumption of negotiations from the point where they were interrupted and we look forward to Ms Holguin’s next visit to Cyprus after the meetings she will hold in the coming period,” he said.

Asked who Holguin will meet in Ankara, the spokesman said this was something either Turkey or the UN would announce.

As for whether the government was more optimistic after Holguin’s contacts, Letymbiotis the meetings were of an informative nature. “Very important meetings will follow in Athens, Ankara and Brussels, and we look forward to her next visit to Cyprus where the next steps in this effort to restart negotiations will then be discussed,” he said.

Holguin had not presented a specific plan for the next steps or if common ground was emerging, he said: “We are waiting. Our goal is to contribute in every way, as far as possible, to create the conditions for the resumption of negotiations. We believe that if there is the same political will on the other side, this can become possible and very soon, from the point where they were interrupted.”

After her contacts on Tuesday with the two leaders, Holguin said the most important thing was to listen, not just to leaders, but to society.

The Greek Cypriot said afterwards that Christodoulides had conveyed the belief that if there was mutual political will from both sides, then negotiations on the Cyprus issue could resume very soon.

Tatar, for his part, reiterated his position that there were two states in Cyprus and in order to find common ground, “the sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots must be accepted”.