U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has specific moves in mind for the immediate period ahead on the Cyprus issue, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou said on Tuesday.
Speaking during a discussion with Cyprus Forum Executive Chairman Nicolas Kyriakides in Nicosia, Menelaou said meetings and discussions held in New York indicated that the U.N. chief "will not abandon the effort, he will exhaust every possibility".
"He has specific moves in mind for the immediate period ahead and we will see whether it will be possible to do something that puts matters back on track and ensures that we safeguard what I call the acquis of the negotiations," he said.
Menelaou said efforts must continue, arguing that abandoning them "will not be a solution" and would instead lead to a further deterioration of an already difficult situation. He also pointed to a recurring pattern of delays from the other side.
Small steps from Tufan Erhürman
Referring to the change in the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, he said a different landscape had been expected but had not yet materialised in practice. He acknowledged some small steps, particularly the reference to political equality in the joint statement issued after the two leaders' meeting last December.
According to Menelaou, that reference marked a shift away from the previous demand for sovereign equality and towards a slow, incomplete but significant return to the federal framework. He added that the process had not yet fully taken shape and that the Turkish side continued to promote a two-state solution.
Not playing blame game
Menelaou said the Greek Cypriot side attended the New York meetings seeking a next step that would facilitate progress. That proved impossible, he said, because there was no response to efforts, up to the last moment, to hold a trilateral meeting.
He said assigning blame was not a priority for the Greek Cypriot side, stressing that the facts were "irrefutable". He added that the Greek Cypriot side did not speak of a deadlock but rather of obstacles preventing the process from gaining momentum, while the stance of the other side reflected Ankara's line.
CBMs and convergences
On confidence-building measures and the recording of convergences, Menelaou said substantial work had already advanced. Commenting on a statement by U.N. Personal Envoy Maria Angela Holguin that the convergences document would be available once negotiations begin, he said the Greek Cypriot side believed it should be released now in order to accelerate the next steps and make a resumption of talks possible.
Turning to methodology, Menelaou recalled the four proposals or conditions put forward by Tufan Erhurman after assuming the Turkish Cypriot leadership: reaffirmation of convergences, reaffirmation of political equality, a timetable for the next steps and "pre-agreed consequences" in the event of failure.
He said three of the four issues had been addressed, with two linked to the recording of convergences. He described it as paradoxical that, while reaffirmation of convergences and political equality was being sought, the conditions were deemed not mature when the relevant documents were ready to be presented to the parties.
Once launched, negotiations can be quick
Menelaou also said that, if an expanded meeting is convened, the next steps could proceed within a short timeframe, provided convergences are safeguarded and attention is focused on the remaining issues. As for pre-agreed consequences, he said a way forward could be found through measures that act as incentives for a settlement rather than rewards for failure.
A great deal had already been achieved on confidence-building measures, he said, though more could still be done. Over the past 12 months, technical committees met 119 times and implemented 39 projects. Most decisions taken at the expanded meetings of 2025 had been implemented, while others were progressing.
Things not as bad as they look
Asked about the political level, Menelaou said the picture was not as negative as it might appear. Over the past 11 months, the two leaders had held 11 meetings, creating opportunities for substantive discussions on both the political aspects of the Cyprus issue and technical matters.
The problem, he said, was a tactic of slowing down and obstructing the process, which appeared to stem from Turkey, which has the decisive say on the other side.
"We want a way out to be found, we want things to move forward," he concluded.
Source: CNA
