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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated his commitment to efforts to restart negotiations over Cyprus after holding separate meetings with the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
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The UN chief said the discussions had been productive and that he would continue his efforts to support a renewed political process.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following an invasion by the Turkish military in response to a Greek-backed coup. The internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus, an EU member, controls the predominantly Greek-speaking south, while the Turkish Cypriot-administered north is recognised only by Turkey. A UN buffer zone separates the two sides and runs through the capital of Nicosia.
‘A visit of solidarity’
After meeting Christodoulides, Guterres described his trip as a visit of solidarity with the people of Cyprus and said he remained strongly committed to supporting both communities.
“It depends obviously on the Cypriots themselves, but also the guarantors have a role to play… I will do everything I can to support the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots in this very important moment”, he said.
Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom are Cyprus’ guarantor powers under the agreements that established the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 after British colonial forces departed the island.
At the beginning of his meeting with Christodoulides, Guterres said the current instability in the wider region made progress on Cyprus particularly important.
“If there is a moment in which the solution of the Cyprus problem is important, it is now,” he said, referring to regional turmoil and geopolitical changes that could place the island at the centre of unwanted developments.
A settlement, he added, would benefit not only Cyprus but also the wider region.
The Secretary-General stressed that the United Nations could facilitate and support the process but could not impose a settlement.
“It is not my role to tell anyone what needs to be done,” Guterres said. “I am here, with humility and full commitment, to support your efforts.”
For his part, Nikos Christodoulides said that the Secretary-General’s presence was yet another clear indication of his commitment to resolving the Cyprus issue based on UN Security Council resolutions.
“We need good news in Cyprus. We need good news in the region. We need good news internationally, and we are counting on your support and your political commitment,” he said.
He added that the international community has a responsibility to do whatever is necessary to ensure respect for international law, values and principles at a time when certain actors are undermining the post-World War Two international system.
Meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader
The meeting between Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman in the Turkish-controlled north of Cyprus lasted more than an hour.
Speaking afterwards, Guterres said he remained committed to efforts to resume negotiations. He described his meetings with the two leaders as productive and said he would continue working towards that goal.
Greek Cypriot side seeks broader conference
Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis described the meeting as substantive and sincere.
He said the Greek Cypriot side wanted the current diplomatic activity to lead to concrete developments and eventually to a broader UN-led conference at which the main issues of the Cyprus dispute could be discussed.
Such a conference would be expected to involve the two Cypriot sides and the three guarantor powers: Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The separate meetings do not yet amount to a formal resumption of negotiations. They are intended to determine whether sufficient common ground exists for the parties to move towards substantive talks.
Joint meeting to follow
Guterres is also meeting representatives of the two communities, negotiators, civil society organisations and groups working on practical cooperation across the divide.
On Tuesday night he will host Christodoulides and Erhürman for a private dinner before holding a joint meeting with both leaders on Wednesday.
The Secretary-General is expected to assess the outcome of his contacts before setting out whether the United Nations sees a realistic path towards the resumption of negotiations.
