Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos held what the Ministry described on X as a “productive first exchange of views” with Khassim Diagne, the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus and Head of UNFICYP.
Diagne formally took up his post in late October, succeeding Colin Stewart, and began separate contacts with the leaders shortly after arriving on the island. His appointment, announced on 3 September, is part of a broader push by the UN to re-energise the process following informal meetings this year.
What UN officials are saying
Senior UN peacekeeping officials have recently stressed that Cyprus remains a priority and indicated UNFICYP is expected to be insulated from the sharpest budget pressures, given its co-funding by Nicosia and Athens. Diagne has said he is “honoured and grateful” to serve and looks forward to working with all partners on the road ahead.
María Ángela Holguín, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, has maintained contacts with both sides and has flagged further informal engagement after the trilateral in New York in late September. UN channels have signalled additional outreach in a broader format in the coming period. Diagne’s early round of meetings in Nicosia is expected to align with that track.
The bottom line
Kombos’s meeting with Diagne, coupled with the UN’s continued high-level attention and Holguín’s ongoing shuttle contacts, points to a coordinated effort to sustain momentum into the next phase of diplomacy on the Cyprus file.
Source: CNA