“We are fully prepared, if the UN Secretary-General deems it appropriate, to participate in an expanded meeting on the Cyprus issue,” President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said today.
Speaking to reporters following the memorial service for the heroes Nikolaou and Kolokasis in Geri, the President was asked what he expects from his upcoming meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman, amid a week of developments on the Cyprus issue and the upcoming visit of the President of the European Council.
“Preparatory work has already begun, based on the deliverables from the Secretary-General’s presence here, as well as the subsequent visit of the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, and we continue to work,” Christodoulides said.
“Ms Holguín will also be here at the end of the first week of September, so that intensive meetings can produce results and concrete developments. We have an informal milestone ahead of us during the week of the UN General Assembly, when we will meet separately with the Secretary-General and brief him.
“From our side, if the need arises and if the Secretary-General considers it necessary, an expanded meeting can also take place. We are fully prepared in that direction. Everything we do has one sole objective: the resumption of negotiations from where they left off.”
Asked whether he was optimistic that there would be concrete deliverables before the meeting in New York, the President said: “We have an obligation, and that is what we are doing, to do everything possible to achieve deliverables. Therefore, if there are no deliverables which is something we do not hope for and do not want it will not be because of us.
“I believe we had a good initial discussion during our first meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader on substantive issues, methodology and confidence-building measures. Ms Holguín’s presence, as well as the work being carried out by the UN regarding the convergences, will help the overall effort, as will, of course, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy’s contacts with the guarantor powers, particularly Turkey.”
Asked whether an agreement could be reached on opening crossing points, Christodoulides said: “We are discussing various issues concerning confidence-building measures. What I told the Turkish Cypriot leader, and what I have also said publicly, is that we are ready for measures that strengthen the broader effort to reunify our country and resolve the Cyprus issue not measures that normalise the current illegal state of affairs.
“Regarding the crossing points, at our last meeting we again discussed the issue of the four crossings, as they were first discussed on March 18, 2025, in Geneva with the Secretary-General. During the Secretary-General’s recent visit, we accepted what he himself described as a reasonable compromise proposal. Ultimately, there was no result, but we continue our efforts in good faith to achieve results.”
Also read: 112 emergency alert sent to citizens over dangerous weather conditions
