The coffee meeting between President Christodoulides and Turkey’s President Erdogan in Budapest, alongside today’s talks between Greek and Turkish foreign ministers in Athens, are creating positive momentum for developments on the Cyprus issue, with United Nations initiatives expected in the coming weeks.
According to sources, the UN Secretary-General is set to convene an informal multilateral meeting, likely to take place between late November and early December.
The UN is working towards engaging with all five involved parties in the near future.
Nicosia expects the UN Secretariat to soon announce the visit of a UN official for consultations with both sides on the island and the three guarantor powers.
It remains unclear whether this visit will coincide with progress on the crossing points issue.
The two negotiators continue their weekly meetings, though no agreements have been reached and they are not yet able to announce a meeting between the two leaders, who will ultimately decide on opening new checkpoints.
In Budapest, President Christodoulides met briefly with Turkish President Erdogan in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Albanian Prime Minister Rama, and Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan.
Nicosia views positively some of Erdogan’s remarks during the European Political Community summit, particularly his emphasis on EU enlargement as a key geopolitical tool and the need for increased cooperation with the EU.
“I had the opportunity to exchange views with both the Turkish President and Foreign Minister. My message in both cases was clear: the need to resolve the Cyprus issue based on the agreed framework,” Christodoulides said on the summit’s sidelines.
He added that Cyprus stands ready to support strengthening EU-Turkish relations alongside concrete progress on resolving the Cyprus issue.
The Cypriot president noted that Erdogan’s intervention at the summit, while not directly addressing the Cyprus issue, focused on Turkey’s challenges and its desire for closer ties with the EU and European organisations, including specific reference to the European Defence Agency.
“All of this – and this was the message I conveyed – passes through the resolution of the Cyprus issue based on the agreed framework,” Christodoulides emphasised, adding that dialogue should not be feared.
