The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, is set to spearhead a new initiative to break the deadlock in the Cyprus issue through informal meetings with both communities and the three guarantor powers.
Following a dinner in New York, efforts are underway to maintain momentum in the peace process.
The UN aims to pursue a two-track approach: dialogue between the two leaders on the island regarding checkpoints, and informal meetings involving the three guarantor powers.
On the first track, discussions will focus on opening new crossing points. While this has been announced as a positive development, it has often been used as a symbol of progress without substantial advancement.
The second track involves informal meetings with the participation of the three guarantor powers.
These meetings, while falling short of formal negotiations, are seen as the only way to revive a process stalled for over three years.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has delegated the management of the Cyprus issue to DiCarlo, a move not viewed negatively by Nicosia.
This appointment maintains the issue at a high level within the UN hierarchy, countering Turkish efforts to distance the process from the agreed framework.
The timeline for DiCarlo’s engagement and the start of informal five-party meetings remains unclear.
The UN statement mentions an agreement for an informal meeting “in the near future” to discuss the way forward.
Both sides maintain their established positions, with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar insisting on direct trade, flights, and contacts, while the Greek Cypriot side emphasises the non-negotiable elements of sovereignty, personality, and citizenship.
The departure of former UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar from the process was confirmed, though her final report is expected to serve as a reference point for future efforts.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides described the meeting as “open” and “constructive in some points”, but added he “didn’t hear anything new” from Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
Tatar reaffirmed his position that recognition of “sovereign equality and equal international status” for Turkish Cypriots was a precondition for formal talks. “I stand at the same point,” he said.
Christodoulides welcomed Guterres’s decision to continue informal meetings in an expanded format, as well as the discussion of confidence-building measures.
Christodoulides will brief the National Council on the outcome of the New York meeting at a National Council session on October 22.
The Cypriot president is currently in Brussels for a European Council meeting, where he will update European People’s Party members and EU leaders on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue.
