cyprus conference — cyprus conference — Nicos Christodoulides has expressed his readiness to participate in an informal five-party conference on Cyprus, aiming for a meeting before the end of the year. This gathering, originally anticipated by the UN Secretary General, has now been rescheduled for early 2026 due to various delays.
Cyprus conference: Upcoming Trilateral Meeting
The President disclosed that a trilateral meeting involving himself, Turkish-Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, and the UN Secretary General’s special envoy Maria Anhela Holquin is slated for Thursday, December 11th. This meeting is scheduled to occur between 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM and will serve as a precursor to the informal multilateral conference.
Focus on Missing Persons
Prior to the trilateral discussions, Christodoulides and Erhurman will jointly visit the Committee of Missing Persons laboratories, emphasising the importance of addressing humanitarian concerns in the ongoing dialogue.
Building Towards Multilateral Discussions
The President highlighted that forging a basis for the informal multilateral conference is the primary goal of the upcoming trilateral meeting. He noted that all parties have committed to this objective, as promised to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General.
Recent Preparations and Negotiations
Earlier this week, a meeting of negotiators took place to prepare for the trilateral discussions, indicating active engagement on both sides. When asked about Turkey’s failure to meet the deadline for entering the SAFE defence funding mechanism, Christodoulides attributed this outcome to Ankara’s own decisions.
Conditions for Third-Party Participation
The President reiterated that any involvement of a third country in the SAFE mechanism must receive consensus from all EU member states, including Cyprus. This statement underscores the delicate nature of international relations in the region and the need for collective agreement on matters of security and defence.
