UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeared satisfied with what the two leaders in Cyprus agreed in Nicosia on Monday when he spoke by phone with President Nikos Christodoulides, who is in Antalya for the COP31 Leaders’ Summit. A three-way meeting between Guterres, Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman may be announced by the end of the week.
Guterres sees substantive results from Monday’s meeting between the two leaders and Maria Angela Holguin, the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy. He and Christodoulides discussed its outcome, developments in the Cyprus problem and arranging a three-way meeting chaired by Guterres.
Phileleftheros understands that contacts between the three sides to find a date have already begun, and that the call took place while the President’s plane was parked in Rhodes before flying on to Antalya.
Turkey visit
Christodoulides is the fourth Cypriot president to visit Turkey, but only Archbishop Makarios made an official visit, in November 1962. Glafcos Clerides and Nicos Anastasiades both travelled to Turkey for international conferences, and on both occasions Turkey tried to create problems, in line with its non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkey tried something similar this year, attempting to leave Christodoulides off the invitation list for the summit, but Nicosia overturned the plan through diplomatic channels.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday that Cyprus’s participation in the summit came in a particular diplomatic context, given the conditions under which the conference is being held and the diplomatic processes that preceded it. He said Cyprus had worked closely and systematically with EU institutions and member states, on the basis of their shared position that “the equal participation of all member states in international processes is a fundamental principle”.
Climate summit
Antalya is the first stop on the President’s trip. On Wednesday he is due to address heads of state and government at the summit, setting out Cyprus’s support for the common European position on raising global climate ambition, implementing the Paris Agreement effectively and speeding up delivery of international commitments.
Letymbiotis said the President would place particular emphasis on Cyprus’s regional initiative on climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. He described it as a framework for scientific cooperation, a coordinated response to shared risks and specific actions and projects on mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Christodoulides will highlight an initiative launched during Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the EU to strengthen the bloc’s strategic approach to international climate negotiations. Letymbiotis said it includes seven actions, which were also promoted at ministerial level, and that their implementation is continuing under the Irish presidency.
There will be an opportunity for bilateral contacts on the sidelines of the summit, and Phileleftheros understands Christodoulides will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.
Dublin and AI
Christodoulides will leave for Dublin late on Wednesday afternoon to attend the European Political Community summit on Thursday 12 November, where leaders from across Europe will discuss shared challenges to security, stability and cooperation. He will take part in a thematic discussion, ‘Securing and defending a democratic Europe’, covering current geopolitical challenges, strengthening European security and protecting democratic institutions.
On Friday 13 November, he will attend an informal European Council meeting on artificial intelligence, focusing on boosting European competitiveness and technological autonomy and on tackling the social challenges and security issues linked to the rapid development of new technologies.
