President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday said that “we can solve the Cyprus problem and reunite our homeland”.

Speaking at a meeting with Famagusta’s Greek Cypriot city council-in-exile, he stressed that progress had been made towards a resumption of talks to solve the Cyprus problem.

He said that he is “in no way turning a blind eye”, adding that “after all, it is I who is facing the difficulties and problems at the negotiating table”, but stressed his belief that the island is closer to a solution than it was when he entered office two years ago.

“I believe that if we reflect on where we were in March 2023 and where we are today, the situation allows us to be cautiously optimistic that the conditions can be created for the resumption of talks,” he said.

He added that United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “absolutely committed to the solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework, as he himself stated”, with that framework consisting of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Of the results of the most recent enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem, which was held in New York last month, he said it is “important that the next meetings have been determined”.

In New York, it was decided that Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar would meet again during the UN’s “high-level week”, the week in which the 80th session of the UN general assembly is to be held. This year, the general assembly is scheduled to begin on September 9.

Additionally, a further enlarged meeting, in the style of this week’s meeting, attended by representatives of the island’s two sides, its three guarantor powers, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, and the UN, will take place later this year.

It is believed that the next enlarged meeting will take place after the forthcoming Turkish Cypriot leadership election, which is set to be held on October 19. In that election, pro-federal solution candidate Tufan Erhurman is set to challenge Tatar, who favours a two-state solution, which Christodoulides said on Friday “can never be accepted by us”.

“I believe that after the electoral process in the occupied areas to elect a Turkish Cypriot leader, there will be developments towards the resumption of talks,” Christodoulides said of October’s election.

He added that the issue of Famagusta had been raised during his hour-long meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in New York.