Holguin to return to Cyprus in October

The UN will continue efforts to create the conditions for a new round of Cyprus talks, with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin set to return to the island in October for further contacts with the two sides.

The envoy said meetings had been held with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York, both separately and alongside UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Together with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Holguin also met Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou and Erhurman’s special representative Mehmet Dana to review progress on confidence-building measures agreed by the two sides.

The measures are intended to build trust between the two communities and pave the way for further initiatives.

Guterres, whose term ends in three months, reiterated his commitment to supporting efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem until the end of his mandate.

During separate meetings in New York, he discussed with both leaders ways of overcoming the obstacles preventing progress towards renewed negotiations.

Although no trilateral meeting had initially been planned, Christodoulides proposed holding one this week. Erhurman, however, did not consider such a meeting appropriate at this stage, Holguin said.

Guterres also stressed the need for the two leaders to move ahead with the implementation of the agreed CBMs, saying their ability to cooperate on these measures could demonstrate their willingness to move towards a sustainable settlement.

The UN has meanwhile completed an exercise recording past convergences between the two sides, which will be made available once negotiations resume. Both sides will also be invited to submit proposals on the methodology for a future negotiating process.

Holguin said facilitation efforts would continue until the end of December, with her next visit to Cyprus scheduled for October.

During the visit, efforts will focus on encouraging the two sides to create the conditions necessary for the launch of a new negotiating process.