Yesterday’s meeting between the President of the Republic, the Turkish Cypriot leader, and the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, María Ángela Olguín.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotis stated during a press conference that the next phase of the effort is expected to center on a new joint meeting with the Secretary-General himself, during which both the methodology and the substance of the Cyprus issue will be discussed. He described this prospect as the most significant political aspect of yesterday’s meeting, emphasizing that the effort is now gaining momentum, concrete substance, and a stronger outlook.
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Nikos Christodoulides is in Antalya, Turkey, today
In fact, he noted that this prospect is not merely an aspiration of the Greek Cypriot side, but is explicitly reflected in the United Nations joint communiqué, as a result of the discussions, of which the Secretary-General was kept constantly informed.
A Discussion on the Substance as Well
The Government Spokesperson placed particular emphasis on the fact that yesterday’s discussion was not limited to Confidence-Building Measures, but extended to three key pillars: the CBMs, the methodology, and the substance of the Cyprus issue.
As he noted, positive steps were taken on specific issues, while differences remain on others. The key point, according to him, is that discussions on all three of these pillars will continue both leading up to and during the meeting in the presence of the Secretary-General.
At the same time, he emphasized the intrinsic value of the agreements reached, including the opening of two new border crossing points—for the first time since 2018— as well as initiatives in the fields of education, cultural heritage, the environment, and crisis management.
These, as he noted, are tangible steps forward, many of which were included in the 19 specific proposals submitted by the President of the Republic.
From Negotiating Stalemate to New Momentum
In an effort to highlight the significance of yesterday’s developments, Konstantinos Letympiotis referred to the overall journey since March 2023, when the Republic of Cyprus was attempting to emerge from a period of nearly six years of negotiating deadlock. As he recalled, during that period, the Turkish side insisted on demands that fell outside the agreed framework for a solution. Since then, however, significant developments have taken place, including the appointment of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, the holding of two expanded meetings under his auspices, the European Union’s more active involvement, and the appointment of a Special Envoy of the European Commission.
Another key milestone was the personal visit of the United Nations Secretary-General to Cyprus. Today, according to the Government Spokesperson, with specific agreements on the table, the effort is moving toward a new joint meeting with the Secretary-General, focusing on both the methodology and the substance of the Cyprus issue.
“This represents significant progress made in a particularly challenging diplomatic environment,” he said, noting that this progress was neither a given nor predetermined.
Resuming from where negotiations left off in 2017
Mr. Letympiotis acknowledged that substantial differences and significant obstacles remain, making it clear that the government does not underestimate them. On the contrary, as he said, full awareness of the difficulties is precisely the reason why he insists on active diplomacy and maintaining the momentum.
He also emphasized that the government is not seeking meetings merely to keep a process going, but rather an effort that will produce results, create a path forward, and bring the two sides closer to resuming substantive negotiations.
In this context, the upcoming joint meeting with the Secretary-General takes on particular significance, as the Greek Cypriot side seeks to build on what has been achieved, in order to create the conditions for convening an expanded meeting and resuming negotiations from the point at which they were suspended in 2017.
In conclusion, the Government Spokesperson reiterated that the Government remains steadfastly committed to the agreed framework for a solution, persisting in diplomatic efforts, and maintaining the clear ultimate goal of ending the occupation and achieving the liberation and reunification of our homeland.
Christodoulides in Antalya and Dublin
Meanwhile, the President of the Republic is departing today for Antalya, Turkey, where he will participate in the Leaders’ Summit of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).
Afterward, he will travel to Dublin, where he will participate in the European Political Community Summit and the Informal European Council meeting on November 12 and 13, respectively.
SEE ALSO: Letympiotis explains: Why the Reds were left out and why Erciyurman’s Turkish proposal was rejected
