President Nikos Christodoulides met with UNSG Antonio Guterres in Brussels on Wednesday, where they agreed for "substantive progress on the Cyprus problem" before the latter's end of term this year.
In statements following the bilateral meeting, Christodoulides described the discussions as “very substantive and very productive.”
“I am truly pleased because we have a common goal with the Secretary-General and the goal concerns the essence of the Cyprus issue; that is where our focus lies. I am also pleased because he himself shares the same view, regarding the need for substantive progress before the completion of his term, that is, before the end of the year.”
Developments 'soon'
Christodoulides told reporters that Guterres had briefed him on talks he held in Turkey. "He informed me how he sees the next steps. It is important that he is in Brussels; he met with the President of the Commission and will now meet with the President of the European Council.
"The European Union, another point on which we agree, can play a substantial role in achieving progress and, consequently, in resolving the Cyprus issue. We should expect developments soon within the framework of the discussion we had with the Secretary-General."
Asked how progress could be achieved before the end of Guterres’ term, given that discussions with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman remain informal, the President said one of the points he agreed on with Guterres is the need to focus on the substance of the Cyprus issue, and where efforts are concentrated.
"Let me remind you that the Secretary General has already met with the Turkish Cypriot leader. He is coming from Turkey. The Cyprus issue was part of his discussions there, and I consider his approach, focusing on the substance of the Cyprus issue, to be absolutely correct."
The President also specified that there is no specific timeframe in place. "The only timeframe mentioned and I repeat it, is the need to make use of the time until the end of his term. This is something he also believes can yield results."
Christodoulides underlined that the UNSG has a very specific approach "which is moving in the right direction." Though he specified they did not discuss Guterres' special adviser Maria Angela Holguin, he noted that
“It is important that we have a Secretary-General who is fully committed to achieving substantial progress toward resolving the Cyprus issue before the end of his term,” Christodoulides said.
"This is something we also want, for many reasons, his previous involvement with the Cyprus issue, his knowledge, his European background, his full understanding of how the European Union works, and many others. The ideas and what we discussed are moving in the right direction."
A statement by Guterres said the two "discussed the way forward on the Cyprus issue. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East."