The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties that participate in the meetings in Ledra Palace, have reaffirmed their commitment to creating the necessary conditions for the convening of a 5+1 international conference on Cyprus.
According to their joint communique, the leaders and representatives of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties participating in the bicommunal dialogue under the auspices of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Nicosia met for their regular meeting today at the Ledra Palace Hotel.
They expressed their views on the topic proposed by the hosting United Cyprus Party (BKP), ‘Considering that the Cyprus Problem is an international issue, how can we move towards convening a 5+1 international conference?’
“Considering that the Cyprus problem is an international issue requiring the engagement of all relevant actors, the political parties reaffirm their commitment to creating the necessary conditions for the convening of a 5+1 international conference” they stress.
Moreover, they note that they “stand ready to support constructive preparations and confidence building efforts aimed at facilitating meaningful and result-oriented negotiations with a view to achieving a comprehensive, lasting and mutually acceptable settlement”.
The next meeting of the leaders and representatives of the political parties will be hosted by the Republican Turkish Party (TRC) in January 2027.
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.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.