President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman held their fifth meeting on Monday afternoon at the UN-controlled old Nicosia airport, agreeing to meet again before the end of the month with the aim of concluding some of the confidence-building measures (CBMs) under discussion.
On issues of substance, both leaders welcomed the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts, which according to Christodoulides, are currently in play. Guterres has a specific plan in mind to reactivate the long-dormant talks and is discussing it with all relevant parties, said the President.
‘Positive atmosphere’
The meeting lasted around one and a half hours, after which the UN issued a statement saying, it took place in a “positive atmosphere”. It added that the leaders had a “fruitful discussion,” exchanging views on “substance and on the way forward”.
“They welcomed the UN Secretary-General’s sustained commitment and engagement on the Cyprus issue. In this connection, they reiterated their continued readiness to supporting his efforts,” said the UN statement.
The two leaders also reviewed progress achieved on trust-building initiatives and tasked their respective representatives to pursue their discussions with the aim of finalising the remaining issues, it added.
“Finally, the leaders have agreed to meet again by the end of April with a view to making more specific announcements,” concluded the statement.
‘UNSG has a plan in mind’
Speaking on his return to the presidential palace, President Christodoulides said he and Erhürman exchanged views on CBMs and on the resumption of talks.
“It was a good meeting, I have to say. We discussed substantive issues in depth, everything the UN Secretary‑General had highlighted during our meeting in Brussels and his political will to see concrete developments.
“He has a plan in mind, which he has begun working on with a view to implementation. We welcome this decision by the Secretary‑General and hope to see positive results.”
On CBMs, he said the two leaders reviewed all the trust-building initiatives raised by either side over time. “We asked the negotiators to complete whatever can be completed. There is progress, I must say, on some of these matters, and there will be another meeting at the end of April.”
The aim is to have more concrete announcements on CBMs that can be concluded at the next meeting before the end of the month, he noted.
‘Guterres in contact with sides’
Asked about the timeframe for developments, the president said the UNSG “has already begun working, away from the public eye” to achieve the most important goal, which is the resumption of negotiations.
Regarding reports of Guterres preparing to table a specific document to launch negotiations, Christodoulides said he has never spoken about the UNSG preparing any document.
“The Secretary‑General is in contact with all sides, in Cyprus and beyond, with the aim of resuming the talks. We welcome his determination,” he said.
Getting talks back on track
Speaking to Politis, a Greek Cypriot source explained that Guterres wants to try and put the talks back on track before he finishes his term at the end of the year. The aim is to utilise his Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín to engage in discussions on substance with all sides to see if there is a specific context in which all sides can concur. If there is something like an announcement that the UNSG can make that pleases all sides, that would represent a sufficient basis to start formal negotiations on a Cyprus solution.
The exact details of this context are not yet known, as it depends on how the UN’s efforts are received by all sides, but it is likely that Guterres will look for the overlap in Erhürman’s four-point methodology and Christodoulides’ five-point proposal and in his own approach – particularly on past convergences. He will focus only on substance, not CBMs, and try to facilitate a way to bridge the respective approaches.
Since the declared intention of all involved is to preserve past convergences and cover the remaining distance, it would be reasonable to assume all past elements remain on the table, including convergences on political equality, and Guterres’ own six-point framework, said the source.
Meanwhile, a Turkish Cypriot source agreed that the leaders had a "constructive" meeting on Monday. Regarding the way forward, the source told Politis that there is no specific road map. There is just the intention of the Secretary-General – based on what Christodoulides told Erhürman – to be more involved in the process after June.
‘Not a routine meeting’
Before the tete-a-tete, Christodoulides sought to negate media reports suggesting the meeting would be just another routine gathering with no outcome.
Speaking to reporters, he said: “I completely disagree with that approach.” He argued Monday’s meeting would be different because he was going “with a clear political will to achieve a result” following from his discussion with Guterres in Brussels.
“The Turkish Cypriot leader is aware of what was discussed, as are Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom, because these issues concern the substance of the Cyprus problem.”
Erhürman’s silence
Meanwhile, Erhürman made no statement on his return from the talks. A large protest was still taking place at the complex where his offices are situated. Protestors were there to demand a repeal of the decree passed by the ruling coalition in the north, which cut the Cost-of-Living Allowance (CoLA) for the next nine months.
Tensions are rising over the cuts and the way they were adopted – by circumventing ‘parliament’. It remains to be seen whether the pressure will reach boiling point, leading the National Unity Party (UBP)-led coalition to buckle and call early ‘parliamentary’ elections as demanded by the opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP).