EC Special Envoy for Cyprus to be received by President Christodoulides

The European Commission's Special Envoy for Cyprus, Johannes Hahn will be meeting with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides on the morning of 24 June.

The meeting was scheduled for 8am (local time). Following this meeting, the former Commissioner will be received by House President Annita Demetriou and Secretary General of left-wing AKEL Stefanos Stefanou, as announced.

On 23 June, Hahn had an informative discussion and exchange of views on the next steps with the Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou.

Hahn arrived on the island on 23 June, on his first visit following his appointment last May.

Hahn was set to meet with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Cyprus, Colin Stewart, as well as the Ambassadors of EU member states on 23 June.

He is also expected to meet with the Turkish Cypriot community during his visit.

President Christodoulides, meanwhile, will also be receiving Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) in Cyprus and Head of UNFICYP, Colin Stewart, on the afternoon of 24 June.

As announced last May, in his capacity, Hahn will report to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and contribute to the settlement process within the United Nations Framework in close cooperation with the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín. 

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.

The UN Secretary General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on 17-18 March.

(Source: CNA)