An informal note regarding the schedule of the two-day meeting in Geneva for Cyprus was released by the United Nations according to which Secretary General Antonio Guterres is hosting a dinner with the heads of delegation and bilateral meetings as well as a plenary meeting with the delegations on the second day of the meeting.
Announcing the “informal note regarding the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format which will be organized in Geneva, Switzerland, on 17-18 March 2025” the United Nations said the “Secretary-General will host a dinner at the Hotel Intercontinental on 17 March at 07:00 p.m. to welcome the Heads of Delegations. The format for the dinner will be Head of Delegation plus one”. The SG will greet the heads of delegations and there will also be a photo opportunity with the SG.
For the next day, the SG is scheduled to hold “bilateral meetings for the morning of 18 March, starting at 09:00 a.m. at the Intercontinental Hotel”. The format for the bilateral meetings with the Secretary-General, the note added, “is Head of Delegation plus five. Photos will be taken when the Secretary-General welcomes each delegation.
The plenary meeting is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. at the Palais des Nations. Prior to that there will be a family photo. The meeting is scheduled to conclude at 2:30 p.m. The format for the plenary will be Head of Delegation plus five.
During the plenary meeting, the SG will make opening remarks, to be followed by remarks by the heads of delegations.
Each delegation is encouraged to ensure the meaningful inclusion of women participants in their delegations, the note added.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced an expanded meeting, in Geneva, on March 17 and 18, to exchange views with the Cyprus President and the Turkish Cypriot leader on ways of achieving progress on the Cyprus issue, following their informal dinner on October 15, 2024, in New York. Representatives from Greece, Turkey and the UK are also expected to attend the meeting.
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Source: CNA
