Key facts
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene a new 5+1 meeting on Cyprus.
- The meeting will include the internationally recognized President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
- Guarantor powers Greece, the United Kingdom, and Turkey will also participate.
- Guterres stated that the talks require adequate preparation on confidence-building measures, methodology, and the substance of the Cyprus question.
- He emphasized the need for substantive preparation to avoid unproductive meetings.
- No timeline has been set for the meeting, pending progress on confidence-building measures.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced his intention to convene a new 5+1 meeting aimed at finding a way forward to resolve the 50-year conflict in Cyprus. The meeting will include the leaders of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot community, along with the three guarantor powers: Greece, the United Kingdom, and Turkey.
Guterres emphasized that any new talks would require "adequate preparation" on confidence-building measures, the methodology, and the substance of the Cyprus question, stating he does not want "any more failed five-party meetings." He made the announcement following a joint meeting in Nicosia with the internationally recognized President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman.
While Guterres secured consent from both sides and the guarantor powers to proceed, he stressed that no timetable has been fixed and that progress in confidence-building measures is crucial. He ruled out the possibility of holding a meeting during the UN General Assembly's High-level Week in September, stating that efforts are focused on joint work with the parties involved.
Guterres also appealed to both leaders to enhance their efforts in defining and implementing confidence-building measures that would positively impact Cypriots' daily lives, noting their assurances of cooperation with his personal envoy. He described his discussions as "honest and constructive" and highlighted a clear demand for progress from citizens of both communities. The Secretary-General also underscored the importance of respecting the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and noted that a solution to the Cyprus issue could contribute to regional stability.