President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides travels to Antalya tonight for the COP31 Leaders’ Summit on climate. The diplomatic backdrop is particularly complex, with the Cyprus problem back in the spotlight and new developments emerging both on his trip and on the Cyprus issue.
Change of plans
Of particular significance is that the original plans for the trip have changed. The president was originally due to leave Antalya and fly to Ireland on the same day for the European summits in Dublin. Instead, he will now stay overnight in Turkey.
This is all the more notable because Mr Christodoulides is not going to Antalya in a political vacuum. His visit comes at a time of renewed movement on the Cyprus problem, following his meeting yesterday with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín.
The meeting on Monday, 9 November produced an agreement to open two new crossing points. The two leaders also agreed to continue their efforts through a new meeting with António Guterres in the coming weeks. These developments create a new framework of contacts and expectations, although the substantive disagreements that still exist have not been resolved.
Guterres requests call with the president
Adding to this is the latest information that UN Secretary-General António Guterres requested a call with President Christodoulides a short while ago. The development carries particular weight, as it comes immediately after yesterday’s trilateral meeting and ahead of both leaders’ presence in Turkey.
Attention now turns to what the conversation will cover, and whether there will be further movement towards the resumption of substantive negotiations.
Erhürman also in Antalya at Erdoğan’s invitation
Another factor giving the president’s presence in Antalya a particular political and diplomatic dimension is that the Turkish Cypriot leader will be attending the same summit.
Mr Erhürman has been invited by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to attend COP31. As he had previously announced, the invitation was sent to him on 14 July and covers the summit’s proceedings in Antalya on 11 and 12 November.
The two leaders will therefore be in Turkey at the same time, just after their latest meeting in Nicosia, at which they agreed to continue the process under UN auspices.
This inevitably draws attention to possible contacts on the sidelines of the summit.
At the same time, Mr Erdoğan’s presence and his invitation to the Turkish Cypriot leader add another dimension to an already complex diplomatic picture. This is especially so because the participation of the President of the Republic of Cyprus followed intense diplomatic efforts, with Nicosia eventually securing the invitation after coordination with the European institutions and EU member states.
The Antalya agenda and contacts with EU leaders
On the official programme, President Christodoulides will address the heads of state and government attending the COP31 Leaders’ Summit on Wednesday, 11 November.
He will set out the common European position on strengthening global climate ambition, implementing the Paris Agreement and speeding up international commitments to tackle climate change.
He is expected to refer in particular to the Republic of Cyprus’s regional initiative on climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. He will also highlight the seven actions promoted during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU to strengthen Europe’s strategy in international climate negotiations.
On the sidelines of the summit, the president is also expected to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
From Antalya to Dublin
After his contacts in Turkey, the president will travel to Dublin, where on 12 November he will take part in the European Political Community Summit.
The summit will focus on the challenges facing Europe in security, stability and cooperation. Mr Christodoulides will take part in the thematic discussion on security and the defence of a democratic Europe.
On Friday, 13 November, he will attend the informal European Council, which will focus on artificial intelligence, European competitiveness and technological autonomy.
