President Nikos Christodoulides has described his latest trilateral meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguín, as positive, saying its outcome has paved the way for a further meeting involving UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Speaking at the Presidential Palace following the meeting, Christodoulides said the prospect of another trilateral meeting with Guterres had been included in the United Nations’ joint statement precisely because of the progress achieved.
He said discussions would continue with the UN chief and expressed hope that an expanded meeting could be announced before the end of 2026.
The President stressed that efforts to resume Cyprus reunification negotiations were ongoing, describing the latest meeting as a positive step in that direction.
He also revealed that he had handed over copies of the 19 proposals submitted by the Greek Cypriot side to ensure that all parties had them available for reference.
Christodoulides said he had taken this step because questions had been raised over whether the Greek Cypriot side had actually submitted the proposals.
He added that the initiatives announced following the meeting were included in the Greek Cypriot side’s own suggestions, with further preparatory work now required to implement them.
Asked about a new proposal put forward by Erhürman ahead of the trilateral meeting, Christodoulides said the Turkish Cypriot leader had arrived with an idea that could not be accepted.
Progress on Athienou and Pyroi crossings
On the issue of crossing points, Christodoulides said progress had been made regarding the proposed openings at Athienou and Pyroi, although no final agreement had yet been reached.
The issue of Kokkina, meanwhile, remains on the negotiating table, he said.
The President nevertheless welcomed the agreement to open two crossing points, explaining that preparatory work would be needed before they could become operational.
He clarified that the agreed crossing points would open simultaneously.
Next steps towards wider negotiations
Looking ahead, Christodoulides noted that Guterres was travelling to Turkey, adding that Nicosia would await developments before determining the next steps.
The aim, he said, remained to maintain momentum towards the resumption of negotiations and advance preparations for an expanded meeting before the end of 2026.
The latest trilateral meeting is therefore being presented by the Greek Cypriot side as a step towards renewed engagement under UN auspices, although differences between the two sides remain on a number of issues.
