Despite the existing obstacles, there is still room for progress on the Cyprus problem, according to Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, who stressed that the Greek Cypriot side remains committed to avoiding a new deadlock. Speaking to Andri Daniel on the programme "Second Look" (Defteri Matia) on Politis 107.6 and 97.6, he said the groundwork laid in New York has created a basis for moving to the next stage.
Holguín visit and next steps
Mr Menelaou referred to the expected visit of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín, noting that the exact date of her arrival has not yet been set. He said her mission is linked to the continuation of the efforts made in New York and to the preparation of the next steps.
Difficulties and the allocation of responsibility
The Greek Cypriot negotiator said difficulties remain, arguing that several of them stem from the Turkish Cypriot side. He clarified, however, that for the Greek Cypriot side, assigning blame is not an end in itself, noting that the priority is to create the conditions for substantive progress.
Convergences and preparatory work in New York
Referring to the contacts in New York, he said significant preparatory work had preceded them on matters of substance, methodology and confidence-building measures. He also cited Ms Holguín's most recent statement, according to which the recording of convergences has essentially been completed. This, he argued, creates a basis for moving to the next stage and for a new multilateral meeting.
Crossing points and demining
On the points raised by the Secretary-General, Mr Menelaou focused in particular on new crossing points and demining. On the crossing points, he said the Greek Cypriot side had accepted a compromise proposal. On demining, he noted that a specific proposal for the inspection of suspected areas has been on the table since April 2025.
19 points presented to the National Council
He recalled that a total of 19 points have been put forward for discussion and have been presented to the National Council. As he explained, these are not necessarily new issues but matters that had already been worked on and which can be used in the effort to build a positive climate and return to substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
He also referred to the implementation of the agreement on Pyla and to the military dialogue mechanism, noting that these remain areas where progress can be made.
Conditions for resuming talks
Commenting on Ms Holguín's assessment that conditions are not yet ripe for a resumption of talks, Mr Menelaou said this was a realistic reflection of the situation, warning that "the alternative would be stalemate", with serious consequences.
Institutional continuity at the UN
Finally, he underlined that there is institutional continuity at the United Nations, regardless of the individuals involved, as mandates derive from Security Council resolutions.
"We will continue to work with determination and consistency," he said, adding that stalemate cannot be an option.
