At risk of suffering “enormous damage” the effort to resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue, should the UN Secretary-General’s initiative fail again, according to his Personal Envoy, María Ángela Olguín, in an interview with the “Sunday Mail”; meanwhile, speaking in an interview with the newspaper “Politis,” she referred to the need for the two leaders to agree on a clear process—such as a timeline, the agenda, and mechanisms for overcoming deadlocks, in order to establish a framework for resuming talks.
In her interview with the *Sunday Mail*, Ms. Olgin points out that another failure would have serious consequences for the prospects of resolving the Cyprus issue, noting that “there will be enormous damage.” As she states, the current initiative represents a significant opportunity to restart the process, and losing it will further complicate efforts.
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“This is why the UN Secretary-General does not want to proceed with a 5+1 meeting without proper preparation. This time, things must be different, as the sense is that every failed meeting has further widened the differences between the sides,” she notes.
She suggests, as a possible way out of the impasse surrounding the rotating presidency, that negotiations begin without preconditions, but with this specific issue placed at the top of the agenda. In this way, she explains, it will be determined from the outset whether an agreement is possible, without wasting months on talks before one of the key points of contention is even discussed.
Referring to the 19 proposals put forward for discussion by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, last September, Ms. Olgin told the “Sunday Mail” that she had not been provided with a written document on the matter.
Regarding the methodology proposed by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman noted that “what Tufan calls a methodology is not a methodology.” As he explained to the *Sunday Mail*, the methodology of an agreement concerns the procedural steps, the timeline, the agenda, as well as what will happen in the event of an impasse.
In her interview with the newspaper “Politis,” the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy emphasizes the need for the two leaders to agree on a clear process before substantive negotiations begin. As she explains, this should include a specific timeline, an agreed-upon agenda, and mechanisms to overcome potential deadlocks.
Referring to the six points presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Crans-Montana, she notes that they could form the basis of the agenda. “The perfect agenda is the six points. Call it what you will,” she says.
When asked about the United Nations document that outlines the common ground reached during the 2015–2017 negotiations and in Crans-Montana, Ms. Olgin clarifies that she does not intend to hand it over to the two leaders before the talks begin. She explains that she seeks to avoid disagreements over its content, which could reignite tensions, as happened with previous UN documents.
Ms. Olgin also acknowledged that domestic politics is one of the biggest obstacles to resolving the Cyprus issue, noting that elections and political expediency influence decision-making. When asked whether there is a lack of political will, she answered in the affirmative, clarifying that this applies to all sides.
In the same context, she refers to the possibility that Greek Cypriots might even consider a brief postponement of the presidential election if they believe such a move could help achieve progress.
The Personal Envoy further notes that the burden of the past continues to affect both communities and the efforts toward a resolution. She poses a key question to the two leaders: to what extent do they desire a return to a strong federation, such as the one that was on the negotiating table at Crans-Montana?
“What is your port of call? If you know what your final destination is, it’s much easier to get there. This discussion must take place between the two leaders,” she notes, highlighting the importance of a shared understanding of the desired outcome.
Referring to her experience in Colombia, where she participated in peace efforts, she notes that, despite the painful past, it is necessary to look toward the future and the next generations. “I don’t want to sound naive; I know how difficult the past is. But sometimes, even with that past, you have to think that life has to be different. I wanted a different country for my son, but also for myself,” she says.
Finally, Ms. Olgin notes that regional developments are making the Cyprus issue even more complicated, as more actors with their own interests are involved, while some may prefer to maintain the status quo. He expresses, however, the need to take advantage of the current situation, warning that the failure of this new effort will come at a significant cost to the prospect of resuming negotiations.
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Source: CNA
