President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said that during his meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday in Brussels they shared the common goal of substantial progress on the Cyprus issue before the end of the SG's term in office at the end of the year.
In statements to the press after the 18 March meeting, the President noted that their discussion was a very substantial and productive one.
He added that he is truly glad because they have a common goal with the Secretary-General and this touchesss the substance of the Cyprus issue. President Christodoulides said that this is where their focus is.
''I am also glad because he himself shares the same approach, on the need for substantial progress before the end of his term, that is, before the end of the year,” the President said.
Christodoulides said that the UN Secretary-General briefed him on his recent contacts in Turkey and shared his assessment of the next steps in the process.
He also underlined the importance of Guterres’ presence in Brussels, where the UN chief held meetings with EU institutional leaders, noting that both sides recognise the potential for the European Union to play a meaningful role in supporting efforts toward progress and, ultimately, a settlement of the Cyprus issue.
“We should expect developments soon within the framework of the discussion we had with the Secretary General,” he said.
Asked how progress could be achieved before the end of Guterres’ term, given that substantive talks have not yet begun with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Christodoulides reiterated the importance of focusing on the core aspects of the Cyprus issue.
He noted that Guterres has already met with the Turkish Cypriot leader and recently held discussions in Turkey, where the Cyprus issue was also addressed.
Responding to questions about the prospect of an informal expanded conference on Cyprus, the President said he sees a “clear intention” and ongoing preparatory work aimed at leading to such a meeting with tangible results.
He clarified that no specific timeline has been agreed, stressing that the key timeframe remains the period until the end of the UN Secretary-General’s term, which both sides believe could yield results.
Christodoulides said discussions did not touch the issue of UNSG personal envoy María Ángela Holguín, noting instead that Guterres outlined a “specific approach” for advancing efforts toward the resumption of negotiations, involving all parties in an expanded format.
While declining to disclose details, he described the approach as being “in the right direction,” emphasising that public negotiations would not be conducive to progress.
“It is important that we have a Secretary-General fully committed to achieving substantive progress toward a solution of the Cyprus issue before the end of his term. This is also our goal, for many reasons,” he said, citing Guterres’ experience, knowledge of the issue, and understanding of the European Union.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format that was expected to take place before the end of 2025, is yet to be announced.
María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.
(Source: CNA)
