President Christodoulides said on Monday that Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s negotiating tactics are not helping to advance peace talks aimed at ending the island’s decades-long division.
Christodoulides told reporters after meeting Tatar at the Ledra Palace in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia that little substantive progress was made during the face-to-face meeting, which took place at Christodoulides’ initiative following their previous encounter in April.
The United Nations said in a statement that the two leaders inaugurated the Technical Committee for Youth and encouraged it to promote dialogue and initiatives on youth-related issues.
They also “welcomed and appreciated the progress achieved” on cemetery restoration and assigned the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage to proceed with implementation of works, the UN said. Discussions continued on demining, solar energy and crossing points, with both leaders agreeing to meet again “soon” without setting a specific date.
Before their private talks, both leaders met with members of the recently established Technical Committee for Youth, which held its first official meeting today. UN Special Representative Colin Stewart joined Christodoulides and Tatar in welcoming the committee members, according to a post on the UN Cyprus office’s X platform.
Top @UN official in #Cyprus, Colin Stewart, together with @ErsinrTatar and @Christodulides welcomed the members of the newly appointed Technical Committee on Youth for their first meeting today at Ledra Palace Hotel. #UNCyprusTalks@UNDPPA pic.twitter.com/f8ObLEyMMm
— UN Cyprus (@UN_CYPRUS) May 5, 2025
“If there is political will, there are many things that can be announced today,” Christodoulides had said earlier on Monday before departing the Presidential Palace for the meeting. “I am going as always with a positive predisposition,” he added, expressing satisfaction at Tatar’s positive response to his request for a tête-à-tête meeting.
“We promised the Secretary General that there must be results for the benefit of the entire Cypriot people,” he noted, expressing hope that their private discussion would help clarify the situation.
Regarding the upcoming arrival of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, Christodoulides said her contract takes effect from May 12, after which she will visit Cyprus. Preparations are underway in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Britain and the European Union, he added.
“In the next days and hours there will be developments, they will be positive and will help us in the great effort we are making ahead of the expanded meeting at the end of July,” Christodoulides said.
The Cypriot president stressed the importance of Holguin maintaining regular contact with Turkey. “Mr Erdogan was here, I don’t need to say it. I am not trying in any way to downgrade the role of our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, but you heard Mr Erdogan publicly,” he said, adding that “continuous contact with Turkey is necessary if we are to move forward.”
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