cyprus meeting — cyprus meeting — President Nikos Christodoulides emphasised the need for an enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem during a phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This discussion took place on Thursday following Christodoulides’ talks with Johannes Hahn, the European Union envoy for the Cyprus issue, and just before a tripartite meeting involving Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, and UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin.
As one of the guarantor powers of Cyprus, Greece typically participates in these enlarged meetings, represented by its Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. Other guarantor powers, including Turkey and the United Kingdom, along with representatives from both sides of the island and the UN, also attend.
During the conversation, Christodoulides expressed his intention to create conditions conducive to resuming substantive negotiations, which had been halted in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. A government statement affirmed that Nicosia and Athens are working in complete coordination towards the common goal of resolving the Cyprus problem.
The resolution of the Cyprus issue, according to the statement, must align with the UN Security Council’s resolutions, the principles and values of the European Union, and the European acquis Communautaire. In his meeting with Hahn, Christodoulides highlighted the European Union’s potential role in supporting the resumption and progress of negotiations.
Christodoulides stated, “The EU’s active involvement is not only a strategic choice of the Republic of Cyprus but also a recognition that the solution to the Cyprus problem is a European issue that concerns the cohesion, stability, and security of the entire union.”
Mitsotakis, in his previous comments regarding the Cyprus situation, reaffirmed the Greek government’s commitment to the reunification of the island as mandated by UN resolutions. He noted, “Now, it is up to others to prove whether they really mean that they want a process of restarting the talks,” emphasising that any discussions should take place under clearly defined guidelines set by UN Security Council decisions and the broader framework of EU-Turkey relations.
Additionally, Gerapetritis remarked that the election of pro-reunification candidate Tufan Erhurman as Turkish Cypriot leader in October heralded a “new chapter of hope and expectations for the island’s reunification.” As the situation develops, all eyes will remain on the upcoming meetings and the ensuing dialogues aimed at addressing the long-standing divisions on the island.
