The process which is underway as regards the Cyprus issue has not frozen and we hope to have the result we expect, which is none other than the resumption of talks on the Cyprus issue, said the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, on Monday afternoon, in statements to journalists, upon his arrival at a ceremony for renaming Argyroupoleos Avenue, in Strovolos, to Dimitris Christofias Avenue.
Asked whether the delay in the schedule of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin, means that the process on the Cyprus issue has been frozen until she completes her contacts, the President of the Republic responded in the negative, adding that “the only thing that is certain is that the effort is not frozen, the effort continues.”
‘Ms. Holguin will go on July 13 (to Brussels), the NATO Summit will also take place, all processes are in full swing, with the aim of convening an expanded conference, during which the resumption of talks will be announced,’ he pointed out. ‘So, nothing has been frozen, this great effort continues, we support this great effort of the Secretary-General and we hope that there will be a response from everyone,’ he added.
At the same time, President Christodoulides stressed that ‘we are at a very critical juncture, we are focusing, we have constant contacts both in Cyprus and in New York, and at EU level, with one and only goal, to have a positive result.’
At the same time, he recalled that ‘this mobility began through our own efforts and the more active involvement of the EU with the Conclusions of April 2024 and the appointment of a personal envoy’.
‘We had said from the beginning that our goal was to link potential developments in Euro-Turkish relations, as Turkey considers progress on these issues as a strategic goal, with the Cyprus issue. There is progress in this direction, we hope to have the result we expect, which is nothing other than the resumption of talks’, he concluded.
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.
After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.