UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to Cyprus this evening for meetings for the Cyprus issue.
Meanwhile, his Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, will meet with President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides this morning while later, she will have a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman.
On Tuesday morning, the UN Secretary-General will meet with President Christodoulides. Guterres’ meeting with Erhurman is scheduled for 11.45 on Tuesday.
At noon, the UN chief will lay a wreath at the Peacekeepers’ Monument outside Ledra Palace and at 4.00 pm he will visit the Committee on Missing Persons’ lab.
Meetings with negotiators, heads of technical committees and civil society representatives have been scheduled for later in the day.
In the evening, the UNSG will participate in a private dinner with the two leaders at the residence of UN Special Representative at Nicosia Airport.
On Wednesday morning, Guterres will have a joint meeting with the two leaders at Nicosia Airport and will give a press conference.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Deputy Government Spokesman Yiannis Antoniou noted that the Cyprus Government is investing in UN Secretary-General’s visit to Cyprus, showcasing a constructive stance.
Speaking during a event organised by the Turkish-occupied community council of Assia, at a monument for the community’s fallen and missing persons, Antoniou said that we stand ready and have a clear commitment to the goal of resuming substantive negotiations that will lead to a sustainable solution.
But he noted that we are cautiously optimistic and remain realistic as we know that the road is long and difficult.
”However, the historical duty requires perseverance and commitment to the highest goal of liberation and reunification”, he went on to say.
Antoniou also reassured that the President of the Republic and its government are collectively doing everything humanly possible to bring justice to the people who sacrificed themselves and fought for our freedom.
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. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.