Nicosia is anticipating developments in the near future as UN Assistant Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo prepares to visit the region ahead of an informal five-party meeting on the Cyprus issue.
In an interview with Euronews, President Christodoulides said he expects the date for the expanded meeting to be set soon. He emphasised the importance of preparation to achieve results during the period leading up to the meeting.
Christodoulides stated that DiCarlo would take on the role of the UN Secretary-General’s envoy. “We expect to see her in Cyprus to discuss the next steps”, he said, adding that the Secretary-General intends to maintain a leading role in the process.
The Cypriot government anticipates the meeting will include the three guarantor powers – Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom – despite Turkey’s preference for a four-party format excluding the UK.
“What I expect is, on the one hand, the date to be set, but, on the other hand – this is of great interest to us, and I mentioned it to the Secretary-General – during this time until the meeting takes place, we should prepare to have a result”, Christodoulides said.
Nicosia insists that any initiative or discussion must remain within the framework set by UN resolutions. Christodoulides noted that while the Secretary-General encouraged thinking “outside the box”, he is bound by UN Security Council decisions.
Meanwhile, Cyprus is also focused on potential announcements from the European Commission in Brussels. These are expected after the European Parliament ratifies the appointments of new Commission members.
Christodoulides highlighted recent positive developments in EU-Turkey relations, including the participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in an informal Council of Foreign Ministers meeting and Cyprus’s implementation of 14 unilateral measures towards Turkish Cypriots.
On the sidelines of the European Council summit, Christodoulides briefed several counterparts on the outcome of his recent New York dinner meeting. These included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is set to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Greek and Turkish foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Athens in early November, further underlining the ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding the Cyprus issue.
