The UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín, is holding a new round of meetings in Cyprus to assess the prospects for resuming substantive talks on the Cyprus issue.
During her visit, she met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and is scheduled to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman on Monday.
The meetings aim to determine whether the differences between the two sides can be narrowed.
They come ahead of a trilateral meeting between Holguín and the two leaders, scheduled for November 9. The timing is significant, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s term ends in December, when Holguín’s mission is also expected to conclude.
The two leaders have begun direct contacts, but so far no progress has been made toward launching formal negotiations.
Christodoulides said he would continue making every effort to create an opportunity for substantive talks, stressing that he regularly puts forward new ideas and approaches within the agreed framework.
He acknowledged that the difficulties, challenges and existing problems should not be underestimated, while reaffirming his commitment to restarting the process.
Although the two leaders have begun direct contacts, they have yet to make sufficient progress to begin formal negotiations.
Source: Politis
