The meeting between the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín, President Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has concluded.
The meeting took place at the residence of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative, located within the UN buffer zone in the area of the old Nicosia airport.
President Christodoulides said he arrived at today’s trilateral meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman armed with a "concrete five-point proposal", as efforts continue to restart negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
The meeting, followed a round of separate contacts held on Tuesday.
Statement from the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín:
The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders Messrs. Christodoulides and Erhürman met today at the invitation of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on Cyprus Ms. María Ángela Holguín who noted that such direct dialogue is essential in order to express views concerns and hopes. This is particularly important as we are currently in a pre-negotiation phase. Constant and direct dialogue is essential.
The leaders shared their proposals to chart a way forward to start substantive negotiations.
The leaders reviewed the work on the list of the trust-building initiatives previously put on the table and noted some of the advances achieved between both sides. They will now continue efforts to reach agreements on the various trust-building initiatives that are on the table as well as towards the start of substantive negotiations.
President outlines response to Turkish Cypriot positions
Speaking at the Presidential Palace, President Christodoulides addressed the four points raised by Mr Erhürman as preconditions for the resumption of talks, outlining the concerns of the Greek Cypriot side.
He said answers had already been given on all four issues, stressing that he accepts the convergences achieved in previous negotiation rounds. If these are also accepted by the Turkish Cypriot side, he argued, “70-80% of the Cyprus problem is already solved,” an assessment he said also addresses questions related to timelines.
The meeting is taking place at the Residence of the UN Special Representative
The President rejected the idea of predetermined consequences and said the issue of political equality had been settled following the written statement agreed after the leaders’ previous meeting.
Christodoulides added that if there is genuine political will, it is possible both to restart negotiations and to reach agreement on meaningful Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs). He said he was approaching today’s meeting with a positive attitude.
Methodology and CBMs on the agenda
Ms Holguín held separate meetings with both leaders on Tuesday. After meeting President Christodoulides, she warned that progress on CBMs remains limited and that without tangible movement it would be “very difficult” to convene a broader meeting involving the guarantor powers.
“I am trying to push for more progress on confidence-building measures,” she said, noting that so far progress has been insufficient.
Alongside CBMs, today’s trilateral meeting will focus on the four methodology proposals previously submitted by Mr Erhürman. Ms Holguín said these issues would be central to the discussion, adding that without progress it would be hard to organise a so-called 5+1 meeting.
“If there is no progress, it is very difficult to organise a 5+1 meeting,” she said, expressing hope that today’s talks would move the process forward.
RTK Backs Bizonal, Bicommunal Federation With Political Equality, İncirli Tells UN Envoy
The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (RTK), Sıla Usar İncirli, reiterated her party’s support for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy.
According to reports in the Turkish Cypriot press, the meeting took place on Tuesday afternoon at RTK headquarters in Nicosia.
İncirli underlined what she described as the urgent need for a results-oriented negotiation process, firmly grounded in UN resolutions, parameters and the convergences achieved so far. She stressed that negotiations must adhere to the established UN framework, including political equality, in order to move beyond procedural discussions and towards substantive outcomes.
She also highlighted the importance of rebuilding trust between the two communities and fostering a positive political climate, arguing that these elements are essential if talks are to deliver concrete results.
Sustainable peace, stability and security on the island, İncirli said, can only be achieved through dialogue, negotiation and mutual understanding. She added that RTK would continue to contribute constructively to the UN Secretary-General’s good offices mission and to Ms Holguín’s ongoing efforts to revive the peace process.