A crucial 72 hours on the next Cyprus issue steps and prospects launch later today, as Maria Anhela Holguin, the UNSG's personal envoy returns to the island and will look to sound out the two sides on the possibility of a multilateral conference, as well as agreement on a number of confidence building measures.
She will first be meeting the top negotiators, mostly in preparation of separate meetings with President Christodoulides and the Turkish-Cypriot leader Erhurman tomorrow, but also in light of a joint session that Holguin will facilitate on Wednesday January 28th, in continuation of their December 11th trilateral.
The personal envoy will then be departing from the island and is expected to brief the UNSG as to near future prospects, pertinent to the multilateral that was agreed last year.
President Christodoulides offered his own assessment last week, as to the possibilities ahead, saying that 'our desire is for a multilateral conference to be convened as soon as possible and lead to an announcement of kickstarting substantive negotiations'.
According to Politis sources, Holguin will look for 'oxygen' that will sustain efforts, focusing on CBM's and in particular, the opening of additional crossing points, which could serve as a springboard towards a new multilateral.
SOURCE-CNA