The January appointment of the new envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General will signal a period of renewed activity in the long-standing Cyprus issue.
Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, whose mission officially commences on January 1, faces a challenging task.
The primary objective for the new UN envoy is to find a path leading to the creation of conditions for restarting talks on the Cyprus issue. This mission is far from easy, considering the precondition set by the Turkish side for the recognition of sovereign equality for Turkish Cypriots.
This stance is presented as a prerequisite for the Turkish side to engage in talks. Additionally, in recent days, Ankara, and by extension, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, have been reminding the United Nations of the ineffectiveness of the methods and procedures followed so far, hoping to persuade the UN to discuss the acceptance of sovereign equality.
In recent statements, the President of the Republic reiterated that the UN Secretary-General’s envoy should spend time on the island rather than making a brief visit, noting that, based on the information received, her appointment will take effect from January 1.
President Christodoulides stated that announcements from the UN Secretary-General are expected, confirming that, based on the information available, the appointment is effective from the beginning of the year.
He mentioned that immediately after January 1, as per current information, the envoy will visit New York to meet with the Secretary-General, and right after, she will visit Cyprus.
“What I have requested, taking into account my previous experience with envoys, experts, or individuals, is the need for her not to visit Cyprus for just a day or two. She needs to come here to work together. Of course, she will also visit Ankara, London, Athens, and Brussels, but she must stay and spend days in Cyprus to create the conditions through discussion to achieve the desired outcome, which is nothing other than the restart of talks based on the agreed framework,” he emphasized.
The President expressed the belief that the desire and top priority of all is to see our homeland liberated and reunited through a solution that ensures the human rights and basic freedoms of all legal residents of this place.
The President of the Republic expressed hope for the support, beyond society, from all political parties, as the struggle to end the occupation and the unacceptable status quo that cannot be the future of Cyprus is a common one.
“Our effort and struggle are the effort and struggle of all those who believe in the ideals of freedom, democracy, European principles, and values,” he noted.
